The Roadmap to a Low-Carbon Urban Water Utility presents utility managers with an approach to address their most pressing challenges, while reducing carbon emissions through measures that either have a return on investment through energy or water savings, or that correspond to planned investments as part of the asset management plan to maintain or improve their services. Utilities adopting this approach are contributing to a carbon-neutral future, by instigating a change of mind-set, not only in urban water management but also by inspiring all other urban services through sharing the risks and the urgency to act to avoid aggravated impacts of climate change, of which water utilities are among the first victims: water scarcity, flooding and deteriorated water quality.

To become a low-carbon urban water utility and a leader in climate change mitigation, champions are needed, who will drive the change in their respective urban water utilities and cities. It is also about realising that urban water management is intrinsically linked to energy consumption and production, as well as to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and opportunities to reduce/ offset them. The urban water utilities represent an untapped potential to further reduce overall GHG emissions. Diluted in the total global emissions, it might seem like a small contribution; however, if the urban water sector were to become carbon neutral, it could contribute the equivalent of 20% of the sum of committed reductions by all countries in the Paris Agreement (i.e. the Nationally Determined Contributions). In addition, because water is connected to all urban sectors, and many low-carbon measures would be best implemented in partnership with other sectors, water utilities can drive an even bigger impact, by catalysing and supporting the low-carbon mind-set in all other urban sectors.

The process for utility champions to progress towards low-carbon urban water is highlighted below, as five steps that the utility implements several times, with each iteration increasing the capacity of the utility to contribute to a carbon-neutral future.