We know that how we finance our work matters just as much as what we do. That’s why we’ve set ourselves an ambitious goal: to move to 100% green financing. In simple terms, that means raising money in ways that are aligned with protecting the planet, ensuring every project we fund helps to create a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.
Green finance gives us the opportunity to put our environmental values into action. It allows us to channel investment into projects that benefit people, communities, and nature, while making sure we’re transparent and accountable about where the money goes and what it achieves.
Our Green Finance Framework sets out the standards we follow and the types of projects we support. These include:
- Sustainable water and wastewater management – making our systems more resilient and water-efficient
- Renewable energy – powering our operations with cleaner sources like solar and wind
- Clean transportation – investing in electric vehicles and reducing emissions from our fleet
- Conservation of biodiversity – protecting rivers, wetlands, and the species that depend on them
- Energy efficiency – cutting waste and reducing our carbon footprint
These aren’t just aspirations; they’re actions we’re already taking. In 2021, we published our first Green Finance Framework, aligned with global best practices such as the ICMA Green Bond Principles and the LMA Green Loan Principles. That same year, we issued our first green bond, a £130 million private placement, which raised £147 million in total. The proceeds have gone directly into projects that reduce our environmental impact and help us meet our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals.
We’re proud to be at the forefront of sustainable finance in the water sector. In fact, 64% of all bonds issued by Western European water companies over the past five years have been green, showing a growing shift towards responsible investment. Affinity Water is part of that movement and helping to lead it.
In March 2024, we made another major step forward by issuing a £350 million green bond. This was the first time a UK water company raised finance after Ofwat’s final determination of our Business Plan for 2025–2030 — a real vote of confidence in our financial resilience and strategic direction. Today, our credit ratings are among the strongest in the sector, which allows us to continue attracting investors who care about both returns and impact.
Every green bond we issue under our framework is a commitment to act — to fight climate change, protect water resources, and support the UK’s transition to net zero. It’s how we’re making sustainability central to how we do business — not just for today, but for generations to come.
Green investment (£), Universal metering (nr), Leakage reduction (Ml/d), Benefits: 46,964k, 150,143