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We have just closed a summer in which thermometers have risen to unprecedented levels and the heat has become unbearable, which has aggravated the summer fires. The climate crisis is already here and we have begun to notice its effects much sooner than we expected. Extreme temperatures, drought, torrential rains and warming sea water will be common from now on. The health of the planet is at risk, as shown by the loss of biodiversity. And our health, as we discovered in the pandemic, is closely linked to the health of the planet.
On October 24, as every year, the International Day against Climate Change is celebrated to raise awareness in society about the importance of the greatest challenge that humanity currently faces. Global warming is an especially serious challenge in the Mediterranean basin, where the increase in temperature is expected to be 20% higher than the planet average. Desertification is advancing, crops are at risk and an entire model of society must be rethought. Therefore, sustainable and resilient management of natural resources is necessary, starting with water, a basic element for life.
To face the new climate scenario, Aigües de Barcelona is committed to preparing, anticipating and forging alliances to achieve shared responsibility between administrations, companies and citizens. Public-private collaboration is essential to join efforts and achieve results in the fight.
The company has a roadmap to achieve the decarbonization of all its activities and, in this way, reach climate neutrality in the year 2050. Emissions of carbon dioxide (C02) and other greenhouse gases are one of the main causes of global warming. A problem caused by human activity and aggravated by the long survival of CO2 in the atmosphere.
The energy transition is a key piece in decarbonization. Aigües de Barcelona has an active commitment to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and increase renewable electricity generation in its facilities, making them more self-sufficient. Among other things, it is committed to the production of renewable photovoltaic energy, which takes advantage of an inexhaustible and totally ecological source: the sun. Thanks to an ambitious investment plan, the company plans to increase production of this type by 10.4 gigawatts/hour (GWh) per year, and go from a level of energy self-sufficiency of 9.74% in 2021 to 14.6%. short term. This plan has materialized in 2022 with the launch of seven photovoltaic generation facilities (four wastewater pumping stations, two supply network tanks and one of its offices), with the possibility in some cases of injection and sale of surplus energy.
For all of its activities, the company purchases electricity with the guarantee that it has been produced with renewable sources and its vehicle fleet is also sustainable, since it is committed to electrified vehicles.
The Catalan Water Agency estimates that climate change will cause a 22% reduction in the water resources available on the Catalan coast. Faced with this challenge, Aigües de Barcelona is committed to the reuse of regenerated water, which is water that comes out of the treatment plants and undergoes additional treatment to be suitable for new uses.
Reclaimed water is an example of the circular economy, in which all resources are permanently reused, and allows the availability of water resources to be ensured without depending on rainfall (increasingly scarce and irregular) and river extraction. and aquifers. It is accessible and stable water. In addition, it contributes to protecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems, reducing the water footprint as it is local water.
Reclaimed water is currently being pumped from the Baix Llobregat regeneration station upstream of the river to Molins de Rei to be reused as pre-drinking water. In this way, regenerated water is provided to the river so that the Sant Joan Despí water treatment plant can capture it downstream and treat it again to convert it into drinking water and follow the water cycle.
In a normal year, 95% of the water resources for the Barcelona metropolis are linked to climatology, that is, surface and groundwater, while 5% is desalinated seawater. In a drought situation like the current one, 19% of the water resource corresponds to surface water (mainly rivers), 23% to groundwater (wells and aquifers), 33% to desalinated water and 25% to regenerated water. . Achieving more sustainable and resilient cities in the face of the structural climate emergency requires knowledge and continuous collective effort. This is the way.
