United Utilities: Delivering Value

United Utilities has set a 25 year vision with sustainability as the overarching theme and has revised its governance by enhancing board visibility of CR. The Board and Executive compliment a dedicated CR Panel whose activities have been improved as a result. These Board Directors and Executive members have bonusable objectives linked to environmental sustainability. Responsibility measures have also been incorporated into business performance scorecards for every employee’s bonus and each unit is tasked with delivering a sustainability plan.

Transparency of communications around sustainability targets and progress is essential for United Utilities’ internal culture of environmental responsibility. Efficiency is integrated into operations through the use of ‘performance dashboards’ at treatment works helping to deliver long term savings through reductions in resource use such as energy and chemicals.

In a regulated context, building environmental credibility which contributes to an industry leading position can be used to influence stakeholders, especially regulators. With that in mind United Utilities is working in collaboration with a wide variety of partners to support the delivery of its environmental objectives. One example is the company’s implementation of a sustainable catchment management approach collaborating with NGOs and local farmers to improve raw water quality, wildlife habitat enhancement and help to secure the livelihood of the tenant farmers.