Water Plus has become the first business water retailer in the UK to have its Net Zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), marking an industry first for the sector. The validation confirms that the company’s near term and 2040 Net Zero pathway meets the rigour required by the globally recognised framework, building on its earlier status as the first retailer to achieve a Net Zero standard from Carbon Footprint. The commitment covers a 25.3% absolute reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by financial year 2030 against a 2024/2025 baseline, rising to a 90% reduction by 2040. Alongside the target validation, Water Plus points to substantial operational water savings, including more than 820,000 litres a day saved across sites in 2026, as evidence its sustainability push extends well beyond its own emissions.

A Science Backed Milestone

The SBTi validation sits alongside work already completed with Carbon Footprint, which conducted a Supply Chain Review by September 2025 to gather the additional emissions data needed to build a science-aligned reduction strategy. That process, combined with the Carbon Footprint Net Zero Standard, gives Water Plus a framework tied to international best practice, and the SBTi sign-off now provides independent confirmation that the trajectory holds up against the 1.5C pathway that underpins the science-based targets movement.

The milestone reflects a broader ambition to help other organisations move faster on their own decarbonisation journeys, not just to meet internal targets.

Jason Scagell, Chief Executive of Water Plus, said:

“This is a significant moment on our Net Zero journey and I’m proud that we are taking a leadership position in sustainability, as we encourage and help more organisations to reduce carbon emissions in the UK.”

“We’re building more positive momentum, helping hundreds of business sites and more than 800 schools save more than 820,000 litres of water a day in 2026, which not only helps reduce carbon emissions in the UK, it can also help reduce pressure on water resources.”

Targets Broken Down By Scope

The near term target commits Water Plus to a 25.3% absolute reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by financial year 2030, from a 2024/2025 base year. Within that overall figure sits a 42% cut to Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and a 25% cut to Scope 3 emissions by the same date. The longer term Net Zero target extends to a 90% absolute reduction across all three scopes by financial year 2040, a date that takes into account water wholesaler targets for Net Zero by 2030 in England and 2040 in Scotland, which form part of the Scope 3 supply chain for all water retailers.

Progress against Scope 1 and Scope 2 is already visible: Water Plus recorded a 39% reduction in location-based emissions between the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, helped by a move to a new main office in 2025 and increased use of LED lighting across 2025 and 2026.

Water Savings At Scale

Beyond its own operations, Water Plus has been supporting customers with SBTi validated targets of their own, including a multi-site client where more than 650 water efficiency devices were installed in 2026, 310 of which also reduce hot water use and therefore energy consumption. Meter data from 2026 shows one at-scale approach saving at least 821 cubic metres a day, equivalent to 3.2 million cups of tea or 10,262 baths, translating to an estimated 290.3kg of CO2e saved daily based on published Government conversion factors and a 95% return to sewer assumption.

A separate site saved 744,000 litres a day following a leak repair carried out through Water Plus services, equating to 263kg of CO2e saved daily and 5.7 tonnes over 22 days. Data loggers installed on water meters have also helped three other sites save more than £638,000 in estimated annual wholesaler charges in 2026. The company’s Be Wise On Water engagement approach, funded in part by regional wholesaler United Utilities, has also brought free water audits and water-saving kit to around 800 primary and secondary schools across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside, with schools alone saving at least 311,000 litres a day.

Wider Recognition And Nature Projects

The SBTi validation arrives in a year of broader recognition for Water Plus, which was named Best Business Water Retailer at the UK Enterprise Awards 2026, reached the finals of two 2026 UK Customer Satisfaction Awards after winning a 2025 award for Sustainable Customer Service from the Institute of Customer Service, and was a finalist for Water Efficiency Project of the Year at the Water Industry Awards 2026.

The company has also backed nature-based projects it describes as Beyond Value Chain Mitigation, including peatland restoration in Scotland that has prevented an estimated 12 tonnes of carbon emissions, the planting of more than 360 native UK trees, and funding for 35 Mini Meadows near UK coastlines equivalent to 350 square metres of seagrass, alongside seagrass seedling planting. Further detail on these projects is available via the company’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability pages.

Setting A Marker For The Sector

Taken together, the SBTi validation, the operational emissions cuts, and the scale of water savings delivered for customers position Water Plus as having moved earlier and more comprehensively than its peers in the business water retail market. With near term targets running to 2030 and the full Net Zero commitment set for 2040, the company has laid out a measurable pathway that other retailers in the sector will now be able to benchmark themselves against.