Birmingham students help carbon research
Jan 28 2009 by Anna Blackaby, Birmingham Post
Global water and environmental engineering company Earth Tech has sponsored Birmingham students to research the reduction of carbon footprints in the water and wastewater industry.
Earth Tech sponsored MSc students at Sheffield Hallam and Birmingham University to conduct research into key elements used in determining carbon emissions for the water and wastewater treatment industry.
Paul Hunt, a technical specialist at Earth Tech, who co-authored a paper at the Second European Waste and Wastewater Management Conference in Birmingham, said: “We worked with Sheffield Hallam and Birmingham University on these projects to provide credibility and a sound academic base to our work on carbon footprinting in the water industry. This research has offered future engineers a flavour of the problems the industry faces and how they can be solved.”
The findings will enable Earth Tech to critically assess the carbon footprint of processes to judge their impact when the carbon reduction commitment (CRC) comes into force in 2010.
This legislation is applicable for all businesses which use more than 6,000 MWh electricity per annum. The CRC aims to cut emissions by a trade and cap scheme, auctioning emission allowances and ranking the most environmentally-friendly companies in a league table.
The research concluded that there is a need for a verifiable set of standards to be developed to regulate all the components used in water and wastewater treatment.
