United Utilities launches a fund and a portal to further catchment systems thinking

United Utilities has provided a fund of £300,000 and will be creating a new online portal to progress Catchment Systems Thinking (CaST).

At a launch event on Friday, chief executive Steve Mogford set out his company’s CaST approach for NGOs, academics, businesses, regulators, environment groups and local authorities. This included launch of the new fund for which charities and community groups will be able to bid, and which will help to unlock additional external funding to support environmental improvements in the North West of England.

United Utilities also plans to create an online portal to facilitate ongoing discussion and partnership working. The CaST Forum, which goes live in early 2021, will be co-created with stakeholders to provide a central hub for sharing ideas and a virtual marketplace for partners to access environmental funding.

Mogford said: “The government has set out its 25-year Environment Plan, to improve the quality of our environment, and now we have the drive to build back better after the coronavirus pandemic. Ofwat has indicated the importance of collaborative working in its Time To Act Together strategy. We are all working towards the same goals and that’s why we want to share our vision of a better way of working for the future…

The CaST approach has the potential to fundamentally change the way farmers, water companies and other agencies are incentivised to deliver environmental improvements and other public goods. We hope the idea gathers momentum, not only in the North West but across the UK and beyond.”