WINZ message to world leaders: we have the solutions you need

Written By Georgette Mrakadeh-Keane

Global warming stripes for the planet years 1850-2023, University of Reading

2023 was the warmest year on record by a huge margin, according to WMO. Global heating is expected to blast past 1.5C target by hundreds of climate scientists recently polled by The Guardian, predicting that the planet is heading for at least 2.5C of heating with disastrous results for humanity. In response, WINZ offers water as a major part of the solutions needed to prevent global heating - solutions that can address as much as 10% of global greenhouse emissions.

The climate scientists interviewed fear that, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, politicians and decision-makers are reacting too slowly. They urge everybody to take action now. Water management is a tool that can be shared by companies, political leaders and decision makers around the world. Better freshwater and wastewater management can reduce emissions, boost resilience, and deliver substantial social and economic benefits. 

Here are some examples:

  • Human excreta emit as many greenhouse gases as all the world’s aeroplanes, so there are huge gains to be made with emission reduction. What’s more, by capturing the methane emitted and using it to generate power, every sewage works could become a power station.

  • Peat captures at least as much carbon as forests. By keeping peatland wet, its methane emissions can be reduced enormously and it can capture even more carbon from the atmosphere.

  • Methane emissions from producing rice (which feeds 2 billion people) can be reduced 50-90 percent with improved irrigation practices.

  • Water and sewerage utilities use as much electricity as data centres and crypto-currencies. They could cut their electricity-related GHG emissions in half using technologies that already exist.

These already-proven solutions provide tools for political and business leaders alike to reduce emissions, protecting people and planet from catastrophic heating. Every one of these solutions also has multiple benefits from increasing food security, to tackling water scarcity to enabling delivery of water and sanitation for all.

The world is facing multiple crises. 

We still have time to tackle them if we act now, act fast and act together.

WINZ is part of an inspiring and growing global movement of people and organisations across all walks of life, nations and cultures who want to act now to safeguard humanity’s future on this planet. If people working in water can generate these ideas, so too can people working in energy, in agriculture, in transport, and in many other areas.

Please join us - we are stronger together.

Georgette Mrakadeh-Keane
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