Abstract:
Over the last twenty years, the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development
have assumed political importance around the world, and have been largely embraced
by governments and prominent international institutions. These concepts have been a
means of tackling the challenges of population growth and environmental change.
For the UK water sector, these concepts now represent a multitude of challenges. The
confluence of climate change and population growth is reducing access to, and the
availability of, water resources. The financial costs of inputs such as energy, chemicals,
materials and cost of process by-products such as greenhouse gases, carbon, and waste
services continue to rise. Government regulators are demanding an improvement in the
quality of services, increasingly stringent conditions for emissions to water, air or land,
catchment-specific management of the water environment, and the adoption of longterm
planning horizons. The UK government has expectations that the water sector will
play a role in the delivery of its targets for reducing energy consumption and carbon
emissions. Society demands that WaSCs engage in high-level stakeholder consultations
and employ long-term visions to guide their decision-making. Finally, WaSCs are
increasingly expected to demonstrate and respond to local and global concerns (under
the rubric of corporate responsibility) to further justify their value to society. Cont/d.
