Thames Water has published its latest corporate responsibility and sustainability (CR&S) report, featuring 60 diverse case studies and a wide range of new videos, marking the start of the inaugural Green Great Britain Week.

The report includes highlights from the last financial year (2017-18) and follows the recent submission of the company’s £11.7 billion business plan to Ofwat covering the period 2020-25.

As part of its future plans, Thames Water has dedicated an additional £1.1 billion for activities to protect and enhance the environment, including an 18 per cent reduction in pollutions and a commitment to generate enough renewable energy to power 115,000 homes.

It will also spend an additional £2.1 billion increasing resilience to meet future challenges, improve the quality of 745km of rivers and reduce leakage from its network of water pipes by 15 per cent.

Green Great Britain Week is a government-led initiative designed to highlight how businesses and the public can contribute to tackling climate change in the UK.

Steve Robertson, CEO, Thames Water, said:

“We understand the importance and our responsibility of being custodians of the natural environment and, along with our customers, place it at the heart of all of our decision making. Our corporate responsibility and sustainability report explains how we deliver an essential service to 15 million people while becoming increasingly more sustainable in one of the country’s most water-stressed regions, while also addressing the rising challenges of climate change and population growth.”

The success of the Walthamstow Wetlands, 15 minutes from central London, is one of the leading case studies featured in the report. The multi-award winning nature reserve was co-funded by Thames Water and stakeholders as part of the company’s pledge to open up more operational sites to the public. Around 375,000 people have visited the wetlands since it opened last year.

The report also includes an overview of Thames Water’s production of renewable energy from sewage sludge, a solid by-product of the wastewater treatment process, which is converted into a valuable fuel and used to help power its sites across London and the Thames Valley.

In 2017/18 the company generated enough renewable electricity through the treatment of sludge and the production of biogas to power 94,000 homes.

In addition to the case studies, the report also introduces Thames Water’s Green Bond Framework. The bonds raise funds for new and existing projects which deliver environmental benefits and a more sustainable economy.

Dr Keith Colquhoun, Thames Water climate change and sustainability manager, said:

“This report goes behind our operations to demonstrate how Thames Water is becoming more sustainable. Our responsibility to the environment is taken seriously by everyone within the business, and the report and case studies highlight the many ways we are building a better future for our customers.”

Click here to access the report online