From and for water operators

Established in 2005 by Dutch water utilities, VEI has developed into an world leading organization implementing Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs). VEI aims at sharing knowledge and skills to make the partner water operators stronger, financially sustainable and more (climate) resilient. VEI creates improved access to water and sanitation services, for hundreds of thousands of people every year, mostly in low-income areas in Africa, Asia and Latin-America. 

In partnering with local water utilities, we strive to continuously increase our impact for people living in poverty, by systemically improving the maturity of working processes of our partners, supported by peer-to-peer collaboration, training, technical assistance and smart investments.

VEI contributes to Sustainable Development Goal number 6: achieving universal and sustainable access to water and sanitation by 2030. We want to help 11.5 million people directly or indirectly to benefit from sustainable water services over the period 2015 - 2030. 

Organization

VEI is a full subsidiary of Vitens N.V. and Evides N.V. and implements their international Corporate Social Responsibility policy on behalf of eight Dutch drinking water partners:

  • Vitens N.V.
  • Evides Waterbedrijf N.V.
  • WML
  • Waterbedrijf Groningen
  • Brabant Water
  • WLN (laboratory)
  • PWN
  • WMD

Our mission and vision

Mission

VEI, supported by Dutch water utilities, works in partnership with public water & sanitation utilities and financiers to create sustainable WASH services by sharing knowledge, building capacity and implementing investments.

Vision

We strive for universal access to safe and sustainable water & sanitation services, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 in 2030 and beyond.

VEI towards carbon neutrality in 2026

VEI started to measure its carbon footprint in 2019. The footprint mainly relates to air travel to implement the WOP-model, peer to peer support and exchange of water experts. Due to travel restrictions (COVID) air travel reduced significantly (see graphic below), but the pre-covid carbon footprint of 2019 will be used as a baseline to set the targets towards carbon neutrality in 2026.  

VEI wants to become carbon neutral in 2026 (with 2019 as a baseline) through different interventions:

  1. Reduce the footprint with 10% through implementing more online hybrid sessions and more efficient deployment of water experts.
  2. Generate self-created certified (Gold Standard) carbon credits through implementation of WASH projects in low-income areas. Provision of clear and affordable water will decrease boiling of water in low-income areas. In 2022 VEI managed to obtain its first carbon credits (1434 tonne CO2) which will be partly used to off-set VEI’s footprint, whereas the remainder of the carbon credits will be sold to create more funding for additional WASH projects in low-income areas.
  3. A separate fund will be created to support WOP partners to reduce their carbon footprint. Small projects can be submitted to (for example) solarize borehole pumps and offices.
  4. Through the WOPs many interventions are financed that reduce the carbon footprint of the 55 water utilities who are partnering with VEI. Examples are efficient pumping, reduction of Non Revenue Water and water distribution optimization. These impacts will be better documented and reported in the coming years. It is assumed that these interventions alone will have a bigger impact than VEI’s total annual carbon footprint, in additions to the interventions 1, 2 and 3 as described above.

Reporting about VEI’s carbon footprint, interventions implemented and the impact, as well as the results of carbon credit projects will be included in our Annual Reports.