Severn Trent sustainability score: 50/100
Better than 100% of Water & Sewerage
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Severn Trent Plc owns Severn Trent Water, the regulated water and sewerage company for the Midlands and parts of Wales. It was incorporated in 1989 and its registered office is in Coventry.
More about Severn Trent
Its filed accounts for the year to 31 March 2026 report revenue of £2,831m and an average of 10,860 employees. It is regulated by Ofwat and the Environment Agency.
Founded 1989Head office Coventry, United KingdomStaff ~10,860Revenue £2,831M (FY2026, year to 31 March 2026)Website ↗
Severn Trent's 2025/26 Scope 1 emissions were 384,205 tCO2e under a company-revised method for process emissions; under the industry-standard method they would be 526,222 tCO2e, and its assurer flagged an elevated reporting risk on the change. Imported electricity is backed by renewable certificates, giving market-based Scope 2 of 292 tCO2e. Scope 3 was 697,345 tCO2e, up from 506,562 in 2019/20. The Environment Agency rated it 4 stars for 2024, the only company of nine, and it had two serious pollution incidents in 2025. In February 2024 it was fined £2,072,000 for a reckless discharge of raw sewage into the River Trent, and in July 2026 Ofwat found serious and unacceptable breaches of its wastewater duties but imposed no fine. SBTi validated its near-term target of a 46% cut in Scope 1 and 2 by 2031.
Severn Trent scores 50/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified October 2026.
That places Severn Trent joint 155th of 1,023 companies scored, and 1st of 11 in Water & Sewerage.
What is Severn Trent doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Resource Use & Waste (4/10, 4/10).
Where Severn Trent lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How it uses materials and handles wasteReport measurable waste or recycling targets publicly.
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling4/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is6/10Less than 90% of its energy shown to be renewable.
- Its effect on nature6/10No verified restoration beyond its own footprint, or supply chain not mapped for nature risk.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets7/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- Its record on controversies4/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Severn Trent's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Severn Trent's score changed?
Severn Trent's score has moved from 40 to 50 across 2 recorded reviews, up 10 points.
- 40 → 50+1013 October 2026
Moved from Energy Supply / Utilities to the new Water & Sewerage sector (base 40) under methodology v2.5.12: 40 → 50.
- Scored 4029 August 2026
Initial public score 40 (publish-draft)
What evidence is Severn Trent's score based on?
10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
20% of them were published by Severn Trent itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Re-scored 40 → 50 in October 2026 after moving from Energy Supply / Utilities to the new Water & Sewerage sector (base 40) under methodology v2.5.12.
“Jacobs, was engaged to perform independent limited assurance in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements on greenhouse gas statements”
“We want to bring our supply chain with us on the same journey.”
“only company (out of 9) rated as industry leading (4 stars)”
“Severn Trent is set to more than double its biodiversity targets by helping to transform 11,000ha of land”
“Severn Trent Water has been ordered to pay a fine of £2,072,000 for allowing huge amounts of raw sewage to discharge into the River Trent”
“Our investigation found serious and unacceptable breaches by Severn Trent Water”
“finding that Severn Trent had made 494 suspected illegal spills of sewage in 2021 and 309 in 2022”
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How does Severn Trent compare with other water & sewerage companies?
Severn Trent is the highest-scoring water & sewerage company we've rated.
Among the 11 major water & sewerage brands we've scored, Severn Trent sits 1st of 11.
Who comes next in Water & Sewerage?
Severn Trent leads its sector. These are the next 3 down.
Pennon group Scope 1 and 2 emissions, assured by Jacobs, fell about 4% in 2025/26, mainly because more renewable electricity was bought for the Bristol Water region, and South West Water's electricity is backed by renewable energy certificates.
See the breakdown →United Utilities' 2025/26 market-based Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 539,041 tCO2e, including 239,498 tCO2e added by a 2026 industry update to process-emission factors.
See the breakdown →Scottish Water's operational emissions, audited to ISO 14064-1, fell from 462,000 tCO2e in 2006/07 to 220,000 tCO2e in 2024/25, and have been roughly flat for three years.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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