Yesterday, Ontario’s WaterTAP released a new report at the GLOBE Forum 2018, Water: The next frontier on the path to a low carbon economy, which asserts that clean water technology is vital to meeting GHG targets.
The report recommends a continuing focus on clean water technology as a reliable, cost-effective way to lower GHG emissions and create energy savings.
“Our companies are translating innovative ideas into real-world applications,” said WaterTAP president and CEO Dr. Peter Gallant. “In doing so, they are contributing significant value to the province’s dual effort to create high-value, low-carbon jobs and to grow this critical sector of the economy.”
Since 2012, Ontario has supported WaterTAP in its mandate to help Ontario clean water innovators navigate the complex path from commercialization to market leadership. The investment is paying off. In 2016/17, companies working with WaterTAP realized $23 million (thirteen times the investment in WaterTAP) in incremental revenue for the Ontario economy.
Cleantech operators highlighted in the report include:
- MANTECH
- HydraTek
- Hydromantis & Alert Labs
- Lystek
- Stantec
- Enwave
- SHARC System
The report outlines how these companies and their technologies are shaping Ontario’s water technology sector and demonstrate that the sector is market-ready to meet the demand for new solutions, across the globe and here in Canada. Many of the companies are already making an impact on global markets.
Water and wastewater services can consume as much as one-half of a municipality’s total electricity use, and on average, over 30 per cent of municipal carbon emissions are related to water services. Across Canada, emissions from wastewater treatment increased by 22 per cent from 1990 to 2015.
This energy use results in substantial greenhouse gas emissions that can be minimized through application of clean water technology across the full spectrum of water services. For instance, generating biogas at wastewater treatment plants across Canada has the potential to offset 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, which is the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road.
The report demonstrates that Ontario, and Canada, can take a big step in reducing GHGs by investing in and adopting Canadian-made solutions.
