WPD Leads the Way in a Sustainable Future

Sustainability is one of four key areas in which electricity customers can expect outstanding outcomes from us, as outlined in our most ambitious Business Plan ever.

Our commitment to sustainability is twofold – firstly, to enable stakeholders to achieve net zero in line with their own ambitious aspirations (for some local authorities, this will be as early as 2028) and secondly, to lead by example, becoming a net zero business by 2028 – 22 years ahead of the UK and Welsh government target.

To enable stakeholders to achieve net zero, our Business Plan for 2023 – 28 outlines how we will create a smart, flexible energy grid and facilitate the mass connection of low carbon technologies (LCTs) like electric vehicle (EV) charging points, heat pumps and more localised renewable generation.

It will also actively support the creation and expansion of community energy schemes, helping local communities to connect green, renewable energy generation to help them decarbonise and lower their bills. Among our 42 core Business Plan commitments, we have pledged to speed up the adoption of EVs, heat pumps and other LCTs, by supporting initiatives such as the creation of robust and challenging Local Area Energy Plans, as well as appointing eight dedicated WPD Community Energy Engineers and Local Authority Engagement Engineers.

Our own commitment to sustainability includes reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill to zero by 2028, adopting electric vehicles across our transport fleet to reduce emissions, significantly reducing harmful gas and oil leaks from our equipment and ensuring we actually enhance the local environment by delivering a net gain in biodiversity for new major projects and at selected primary substation sites.

When it comes to becoming a net zero business by 2028 we are tackling our own business carbon footprint (BCF) building on an already excellent record. In the current price control period, RIIO-ED1, we have consistently outperformed our 5% reduction target for building energy use, achieving an annual reduction each year. This is thanks to a wide range of measures, including greater employee awareness of energy savings, the installation of motion sensors for lighting, upgraded air conditioning systems and higher energy efficiency ratings in new and refurbished depots. All of the energy purchased by us is produced entirely from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. Looking ahead to RIIO-ED2, we have set a number of new, ambitious initiatives in our Business Plan including: Replacing at least 89% of the existing operational vehicle fleet with EVs by 2028; Cutting carbon emissions from the operational fleet by 50%; Reducing business travel by encouraging more remote working and virtual meetings. Our target to cut carbon emissions, limiting global warming to 1.5°C or lower, has been officially verified by the United Nations Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).

Mark Shaw, WPD RIIO-ED2 Delivery Manager, said: “WPD’s commitment to sustainability is just one of the ways in which our Business Plan reflects the ambitious and changing priorities of the communities we serve. We are leading an energy revolution for our customers.

"Thanks to our efforts to date, a smart energy future is already well underway for our customers. We’ve already developed new, flexibility services to unlock capacity from the existing network before we build install larger cables, and we are utilising innovation and digitalisation across our businesses to enhance our efficiency at every opportunity. By delivering the ambitious commitments we’ve co-created with stakeholders, WPD will ensure that everyone living and working in our regions will benefit from a sustainable, net zero future.”

Sustainability is one of four key priority areas highlighted in our Business Plan, alongside connectability, affordability and vulnerability.