- Maintaining consistent year-on-year main replacement data due to various factors.
- Difficulty in accurately calculating average water rates due to wide geographic footprint and varying system sizes.
- Challenges in attributing volumetric water savings directly to Essential's efforts due to multiple variables.
- Challenges in accurately assessing water stress levels due to the broad high-level regional analysis.
- Challenges in assessing flood risk for wastewater treatment facilities due to broad high-level analysis.
- Year-on-year changes in unplanned service disruptions driven by better data collection and data quality.
Essential Utilities
Greenhouse gas emissions & sustainability report data
In its 2023 reporting, Essential Utilities disclosed greenhouse gas emissions of 504.5K tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2). By scope: Scope 1: 463.1K tCO2e/year; Scope 2: 41.4K tCO2e/year; Scope 3: 8.2M tCO2e/year. Figures are as stated in the company's own report and may use different boundaries, units or methods (for example market-based vs location-based Scope 2), so compare with care.
GHG Emissions
504.5K tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2)
2023
Renewable Energy
29% of total energy use
of total energy
Waste
46.1K tons/year (water treatment) 6640 tons/year (wastewater treatment) 2548 tons/year (office waste) 507 tons/year (natural gas liquids) 18 tons/year (hazardous waste)
2023
Energy Use
780.1K MWh/year
2023
📊 Emissions by Scope (2023)
| Scope | What it covers | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | Direct emissions from sources the company owns or controls (fuel combustion, company vehicles, process and fugitive emissions). | 463.1K tCO2e/year |
| Scope 2 | Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling. | 41.4K tCO2e/year |
| Scope 3 | Other indirect emissions across the value chain (purchased goods, business travel, use of sold products, etc.). | 8.2M tCO2e/year |
New to scopes? Read Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions explained and market-based vs location-based Scope 2.
📈 Emissions by Report Period
| Report period | Headline emissions figure reported |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 504.5K tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2) |
| 2022 | 621.0K tCO2e (2019 baseline); 468696 tCO2e (2022) |
| 2020 | 8.7M tCO2e/year (Scope 1 2 and 3) |
| 2019 | 131.2K tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2 market-based) |
Each row is the headline figure extracted from a different report; scope coverage and methodology can change between years.
✅ Reported Environmental Achievements
- Achieved a 25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from its 2019 baseline by the end of 2023.
- Water and wastewater operations began procuring nearly 100% renewable energy for its Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, and New Jersey utilities in 2022.
- Gas operations continued main replacement activities to reduce fugitive methane emissions.
🎯 Climate & Sustainability Targets
📅 Medium-term
- Achieve a 60% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from a 2019 baseline by 2035.
🌱 ESG Focus Areas
Climate ChangeEmployee DiversitySupplier DiversityCommunity InvestmentEmployee ExperienceWater ConservationWastewater ManagementGas DistributionHealth and SafetyDiversity, Equity and InclusionGovernance