Water leaders join call to prime minister for coherent strategy ahead of COP26

A number of water sector leaders including from Anglian Water, United Utilities and Waterwise have joined wider UK business leaders in calling on prime minister Boris Johnson to set out a coherent climate strategy in the countdown to UN climate summit, COP26.

The letter was coordinated by the UK Business Group Alliance for Net Zero (BGA) and among the wider signatories were Costain, BT, Coca-Cola, Tesco, JLL, Santander, Unilever, ScottishPower, the Co-op and Heathrow.

The letter set out the leaders’ support for climate action and highlighted the need for the UK government to lay out a coherent, integrated and Treasury-supported net zero strategy. It urged the Prime Minister to align economic and fiscal policy with its decarbonisation strategy to build confidence for businesses to act at speed and scale, while sending a clear message to the world that the UK is taking a concerted leadership position on climate change.

Anglian Water chief executive and co-chair of the Corporate Leaders Group in the UK, Peter Simpson, said: “We’re determined to play our part in transitioning at pace to a sustainable future. Just how quickly we’ll get there depends in part on clarity of direction and a joined-up approach from government. So I join my voice with my fellow signatories in offering our wholehearted support for bold, transformative action as we head towards COP26.”