Global warming is a serious threat to life on Earth. The science is no longer disputed. The bottled water industry recognises its contribution - at 0.05% of all emissions -  to the UK's carbon footprint, and has taken many actions to reduce its impact even further.

International bodies and governments worldwide are introducing regulations and voluntary agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as they try to curb the rise in global mean temperatures and the climatic mayhem this will cause. The UK is taking a lead by introducing the first long-term legal framework for reducing emissions. The Climate Change Bill, currently in passage through Parliament, contains provisions to create a legally binding target of carbon dioxide emission reductions for the UK of at least 26% by 2020 and 60% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.

Set against this target, companies, public bodies and consumers alike are now beginning to take meaningful measures to reduce their carbon footprint. The bottled water industry is making significant inroads into its impact, and is leading the way on several initiatives.

Bottled water's carbon footprint

According to The Carbon Trust, UK consumers use products and services with a combined carbon footprint of 648 million tonnes of CO2. Latest estimates place the bottled water industry's carbon footprint at under 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, around 0.05% of total UK carbon emissions or 160g of carbon dioxide per litre of bottled water.

By way of comparison, the carbon footprint of a typical soft drink is around 388g of carbon dioxide per litre.

Transportation is clearly an element of bottled water's carbon footprint. However, refrigeration - driven by consumer demand to have access to chilled drinking water on the move - may be the most significant factor, according to latest research on life-cycle carbon footprints.

The majority - around three-quarters - of bottled water is sourced from UK producers. Most imported water comes from France, often transported by electric rail and sea. Thus, despite common misconceptions to the contrary, bottled water often travels much smaller distances than most other food and drink products.

Reducing CO2 emissions

The UK bottled water industry is taking positive actions to reduce its carbon footprint, including:

Lightweighting of plastic bottles

Hands on support of plastic bottle recycling schemes

Use of recycled plastic in bottles

Transportation of bottled water by rail and sea

Introduction of more efficient fleets for the transportation of bottled water by road

Working with refrigeration companies to introduce more efficient refrigeration systems, using chemicals with less of a greenhouse gas potential

Introducing production plant energy-saving measures

Offsetting any remaining carbon dioxide emissions through vetted carbon off-setting schemes