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Yorkshire Water has become the first UK water company to sign up to the Natural Capital Commitment.
It means the company has confirmed its commitment to working with partners to “create better outcomes for the environment”. It will also share the outcomes of its natural capital assessments to help other organisations consider their impacts and dependencies on the environment.
The Natural Capital Commitment is an initiative connected to Business for Nature: a coalition of leading global organisations who have come together to convene a united business voice at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP, taking place in China next year.
Natural capital is one of the six capitals – Financial, Manufactured, Human, Natural and Social – which Yorkshire Water accounts for in its monitoring, reporting and decision-making.
Head of sustainability, Gordon Rogers, said: “We are delighted to sign this agreement which shows our continued commitment to the Six Capitals model. We are excited by the possibilities of working with other institutions to enhance natural capital and protect our natural environment.
“As an anchor institution we consider it our duty to sign up and work with schemes such this and we urge others to do the same.”
Scottish Water has also made its own environmental commitments, at the start of Scotland’s Climate Week, pledging to work with communities to help reduce water and energy usage. The company pointed to existing successes, saying that about 80 million litres of water have been saved across Scotland in the past year after water efficiency advice and devices were given to thousands of households. The reduction in water consumption is enough to fill 32 Olympic-size swimming pools or 53 million kettles.
Brian McCarthy, Scottish Water’s reservoirs and supply demand manager, said: “These new figures show that a massive amount of water has been saved by people across Scotland after we have issued great water efficiency advice and provided devices such as shower timers and tap aerators to thousands of households.
“We would urge everyone to do what they can to reduce consumption of this precious resource and in turn help the environment and save money through reduced energy bills.”
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