Liontrust Responsible Capitalism Report 2024 - Flipbook - Page 46
Biodiversity improvement
The team also engaged water companies on the biodiversity projects each Group is undertaking. These include:
Company
Plans
Thames Water
Targeting 5% improvement in biodiversity across their 5,500 sites.
United Utilities
Investing in peatland restoration working in collaboration with farmers and other third parties, which can help to
create environmental solutions with multiple benefits. Catchment systems thinking encourages them to think differently
and includes incorporating natural capital decision making to consider what is best for the environment.
Severn Trent
Working in conjunction with Anglian regarding improving river quality. By 2030, Severn Trent will plant
1.3 million trees, support their triple carbon pledge and have committed to a 15% biodiversity net gain across
capital programmes.
Yorkshire Water
Working with the Environment Bank. Looking to conserve pockets of land on their network for 30 years. Investment in
tree planting, peatland restoration and river enhancements.
Anglian Water
Significant areas of land/locations where they are trying to improve biodiversity. Protecting eels in their natural
habitat.
Welsh Water
Collaboration with farmers, building wetlands in their catchment areas. Improving four river catchment areas to
restore these to the highest environmental standard.
Climate change-related engagements
The team engaged holdings on climate-related issues in 2022. Examples include:
Company
What the
Group does
Date
Discussion topic
Discussion points
American Tower
Corp.
Manages
communication
towers
2022
Carbon
reduction
The team requested that American Tower reduce its absolute carbon
emissions to be in line with 1.5 degrees, instead of with 2 degrees.
American Tower agreed to do this within the next decade. (For more
information on this engagement, see page 91 of this report.)
Ashtead
British industrial March 2022
equipment rental
company
Carbon
reduction
Ashtead is targeting a 35% carbon reduction by 2030 and investigating
electric vehicles and biodiesel. However, it is reliant on manufacturers
developing these further.
Rotork
UK-based Group March 2022
making industrial
flow control
equipment
Net zero
Rotork’s net zero strategy is to achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and
2 emissions by 2035 and by 2045 for Scope 3. Rotork is applying for
validation by SBTi. Around 45% of the Group’s products that go to oil and
gas will gradually decline and be replaced by those involved in hydrogen
transport, water, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and biofuels. The Group
will increasingly use electric actuators (rather than those driven by methane),
which will help reduce methane emissions from gas networks.
46 - Responsible Capitalism Report 2022