United Utilities publishes sustainable finance framework

We have today published our Sustainable Finance Framework, which is available here. 

We have a strong track record of operating in a responsible manner over many years. The long-term prospects of the company are inextricably linked to our ability to operate sustainably to best serve the interests of all of our stakeholders. 

Financing our plans, in part, through a Sustainable Finance Framework will enable investors to more directly link the benefits of your funding to the furtherance of our environmental and sustainability goals. 

This framework provides a means to raise debt finance to support our strategy of providing the best service to customers, at the lowest sustainable cost, in a responsible manner. It will allow us to demonstrate how investment in our business makes a positive impact to the North West’s environment and society in which we live and operate. 

Our Sustainable Finance Framework has been developed to align with the Green Bond Principles (2018 edition), the Social Bond Principles (2020 edition) and the Sustainability Bond Guidelines (2018 edition), as published by ICMA, as well as the Green Loan Principles published by the LMA (2020 edition). 

We intend to follow market best practice and will communicate in a transparent manner on:

• Use of Proceeds

• Process for Project Evaluation and Selection

• Management of Proceeds

• Reporting

Sustainalytics have provided a Second Party Opinion on our Sustainable Finance Framework, which is available here.