As the UK looks ahead to 2040, the pressures on water resources will only intensify. Climate change, population growth, the rise of water-intensive industries such as data centres, and the drive toward net zero will all reshape demand and delivery.

In this closing session, each panellist will give a insight on a critical factor shaping the sector’s future, from sustainability and innovation to infrastructure investment and digital transformation, before joining a wider discussion on what the industry must prioritise today to prepare for tomorrow.

Speaker topics:

Changing delivery models for major water projects
Infrastructure resilience/ climate change
The proposed regional system planning approach as a means to managing growing and wide-ranging demands for water infrastructure across multiple sectors
Sustainable water cycle
Net zero

Panel focuses:

What will the UK’s water requirements look like by 2040?
How must our infrastructure evolve to deliver reliable, sustainable supply?
What role will new technologies, net zero commitments, and nature-based solutions play?
How do we balance public expectations, affordability, and environmental responsibility?

Programme

2026 New Civil Engineer Water programme