Sustainable Finance

Our sustainable finance programme began in 2017, when we were the first major utility to issue a GBP Green Bond. Since then, we have continued to seek sustainable funds to deliver a series of projects to deliver on our Purpose: to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we serve through our commitment to love every drop.

As a monopoly provider of water and water recycling services, it is our duty to operate in the public interest, and for the long-term prosperity of our region and the wider environment. Our responsibility is clear. It’s woven into the fabric of Anglian Water, enshrined in our Articles of Association, which holds our Directors accountable not simply to shareholders, but to the environment and our communities too.

We constantly challenge ourselves and our supply chain partners to find new and better ways to deliver our service to customers. Over the years we have invested in schemes to build resilience to flood and drought, enabled sustainable economic and housing growth, improved the ecological quality of catchments, and are working towards becoming a carbon neutral business.

Delivering on our Purpose is becoming increasingly challenging. We are managing water resources in a region that is water scarce, vulnerable and already feeling the impacts of climate change, has many precious environmental sites to protect, a fast-growing population and a sizeable agricultural economy that relies on water to feed the nation.

As we head into the near and long-term future, our sector faces unparalleled demand for investment. Our Business Plan (2025-2030) was submitted to Ofwat in 2023, and outlines our bold ambitions as we face into these challenges. As well as continuing to invest in our customers’ number one priority - safe, clean water, now and in the future - our plan places a large emphasis on protecting and enhancing the environment - our sustainable finance programme is fundamental to this.

The framework aligns with the ICMA Green Bond Principles 2021 including the updated appendix I of June 2022, the Social Bond Principles June 2023, the Sustainability Bond Guidelines 2021, as published by the International Capital Market Association (“ICMA”) and Loan Market Association’s (“LMA”) Green and Social Loan Principle.