06/07/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/07/2021 12:44
This article also appears in our 13th annual Corporate Sustainability Report.
Being an environmental steward goes beyond reducing carbon emissions. Our environmental policy describes our commitment to abide by applicable laws, regulations and permit requirements, and our work to reduce our impacts.
Sempra Energy's environmental policies and procedures are designed to manage and reduce environmental impacts and advance the circular economy. These procedures include water reuse, recycling and waste minimization, greenhouse gas (GHG) and other air emissions reduction programs and air quality improvements.
Across our operating companies we are working to find new ways to reduce waste, reuse materials and safely extend the life of equipment. We look to find new vendors to increase recycling rates and identify new products that can be recycled.
There are several examples of our efforts to advance the circular economy, including waste reduction goals and targets, across the Sempra Energy family of companies. SDG&E aims to divert 100% of green waste, including green waste related to vegetation management, by 2030. It also reduces food waste through composting the pre-consumer food waste from on-site dining facilities and donating unused food to Feeding San Diego. Learn more in SDG&E's 2020 sustainability strategy, Building a Better Future.
In Mexico, Ecogas, IEnova's natural gas distribution regulated utility, achieved their goal to reduce waste generated per employee compared to a 2019 baseline.
In 2020, Sempra Energy and its operating companies:
* Non-hazardous waste generated does not currently account for green waste from SDG&E's vegetation management operations.
Throughout our operating companies we are upgrading our infrastructure and processes, and collaborating with suppliers, customers and peers to work to effectively measure, monitor and reduce emissions.
Our California utilities have been working to upgrade infrastructure and processes to reduce methane emissions for decades. According to California-based emission factors used for Senate Bill 1371 'Natural Gas Leakage Abatement' reporting in 2020, the emission rates for transmission and distribution systems ranged from 0.05 to 0.25% for SoCalGas and 0.04 to 0.27% for SDG&E; an average between the two systems of ~0.15%.
Our California utilities achieve these results in a variety of ways:
Energy efficiency programs also play a critical role in reducing emissions. Energy efficiency programs include:
In 2020, customer energy efficiency at our California utilities saved approximately 333 gigawatt-hours* of electricity and approximately 41.2 million therms* of natural gas.
At Sempra Energy, protecting the environment and advancing a circular economy are key to our efforts to help shape a lower-carbon future while driving sustainable value for our stakeholders.
*Preliminary data