Bristol Water updates social contract

Bristol Water has updated its social contract for the coming year, outlining how it will raise the value of water, protect the environment and educate young people in its region.

The company was the first in the sector to publish a social contract in January 2019 as a means for billpayers and stakeholders to hold the business to account over its actions.

The social contract builds on the aims set out last year for education, conservation, assisting vulnerable billpayers, leisure and recreation, as well as its role in regional plans for carbon neutrality and water resources.

The water company will work with stakeholders including NGOs, conservation groups, local authorities, suppliers, educational bodies and residents to respond to the climate emergency, make new build homes more water efficient and reduce the consumption of single use plastics.

The thinking behind the contract was to ensure board level decisions were taken with wider societal impacts in mind.

Ofwat has considered mandating social contracts for water companies but so far these changes have been voluntary with Anglian and Welsh Water each updating their company constitution to reflect their social purpose.

On conservation, Bristol said the social contract builds on existing regulatory commitments and that its work will be “amplified” beyond its own sites by working with wider reaching organisations.

There is a heavy focus on education to teach people to use water more responsibly in the changing climate and to inspire students to work in the sector.

To encourage people to be more resource efficient, the company is embarking on a programme designed to inspire a sense of collective responsibility and teach children the value of water.

Education goals will also include offering support for learners from school to university to encourage people to work in the sector. The company said it wants to improve social mobility to give greater opportunities to potential employees from a diverse range of backgrounds and offer apprenticeships and work experience.

Bristol said it will work with Wessex Water and other stakeholders to change consumer habits around water in a bid to lower consumption. It said its work will explore preserving and enhancing natural capital and linking into a circular economy.

The organisation noted that coronavirus restrictions may slow some of the goals outlined but said it would act according to government guidance.

The social contract has been mapped against the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, which aim to be a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for everyone.