Pennon firmly believes that good corporate governance is essential to enable us to deliver our purpose for all our stakeholders and it remains a top priority for the Board. The Company is committed to the principles of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code), which is published on the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) website. As a responsible business, our activities are underpinned by strong governance frameworks that uphold our core values within the organisation and throughout our supply chain. We are committed to providing open, honest and transparent reporting, and measure ourselves against both national and international benchmarks of responsible business practice.
Trust and transparency are one of our highest material issues, therefore we will continue regular dialogue with stakeholders, to build open and meaningful relationships. We have reinforced our supply chain resilience by further developing our ESG target for supplier engagement for 2025. This further strengthens our commitment to the importance we place on those we work with sharing our core ESG values. As a Group, we have demonstrated our sustainability commitments with short and long-term pathways to emissions reduction, to drive innovation and support our long-term strategy.
We monitor our performance across a range of governance indicators:
Strong governance provides the framework for effective strategy delivery, value creation for stakeholders, and sustainable business development at Pennon Group. Our approach to governance is ingrained in our culture, guided by the Code of Conduct that sets principles for employee decision-making. We operate to the highest corporate governance standards, with governance central to successful Group management, strategy execution, purpose fulfilment, stakeholder value creation, and continuous business development. The Board maintains effective governance and integrity for long-term stakeholder benefit. Separate boards for Pennon and Southwest Water ensure operational oversight and efficient decision-making processes, aligning with Ofwat's principles. The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee scrutinizes ESG performance and oversees Pennon's ESG strategy sustainability targets. As a UN Global Compact signatory, we embed its principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption into our ESG approach and annually report progress. Pennon is also actively involved in Business in the Community, FTSE4Good Index, and other leading ESG assessments, with metrics, policies, and assurance statements available in our ESG Databook , and on the External Benchmarking tab.
As a large organisation with an extensive and diverse supply chain, we are deeply committed to ensuring our supply chain partners align with the same values, standards, and sustainable practices that we uphold. The ESG Committee has thoroughly evaluated our supply chain processes to embed sustainability principles throughout our operations. Looking ahead, we are focused on bolstering the wider supply chain delivery through our Amplify initiative, which includes a two-tier supplier model supporting numerous projects and contributing to our substantial investment in the region. We have segmented our supply base to maximise engagement with each partner, utilising methods such as supplier audits, a Code of Conduct, sustainable procurement policies, formal agreements, and e-procurement platforms.
Our major Amplify alliance with leading engineering companies aims to drive significant investment in the local economy, creating thousands of new jobs while delivering critical infrastructure projects as part of our commitment to customers, communities, and the environment. We prioritise working with businesses that demonstrate good and sustainable practices, adhering to stringent procurement policies and favouring local suppliers to provide employment and community benefits.
All suppliers must comply with our Code of Conduct for Supply Chain Partners. As a signatory to the EU Skills Accord, we collaborate to support skills development and investment throughout the supply chain. Additionally, through our ESG and Net Zero strategies, we engage our supply chain to better understand and manage our collective environmental impact through collaboration.
For more detailed Supply Chain metrics including the way we embed ESG across our suppliers, visit the “Supply Chain” section of the ESG Databook.
Our approach to ESG affects not only our operations and the way we carry out our business, but the way in which we finance our business. Since March 2023, over £800m has been secured through the Group’s Sustainable Financing Framework. Pennon’s Sustainable Financing Framework aims to integrate commitments to environmental and social objectives into funding activities We continue to maintain financial resilience underpinned by an ethical approach, as evidenced by retaining our Fair Tax Mark accreditation and adherence to our sustainable financing framework.
The Group’s total tax contribution (TTC) for 2023/24 amounted to £100 million (excluding £144 millions of VAT receipts), as outlined in our published tax strategy. It is acknowledged as being a fair and comparable representation of total tax cost. Like any successful business, we continue to work hard to be efficient and effective to deliver the best possible result for customers, communities and shareholders. We have the same approach when it comes to tax. It is the taxes paid by businesses and people which help fund vital public services, investment in people and infrastructure to support future growth, which benefits us all.
Pennon Group has a comprehensive and confidential whistleblowing process overseen by the Executive-led Ethics Management Committee. All individuals associated with the Group must follow the Anti-financial Crime Policy and are encouraged to report any concerns anonymously through the "Speak Up" whistleblowing portal provided by a third-party.
The Whistleblowing Policy outlines clear procedures for employees and suppliers to raise concerns either with their manager or through an independent hotline. This policy is well-communicated across the organisation. Significant whistleblowing issues raised are formally investigated. Findings are shared with the Audit Committee, Ethics Management Committee, and ultimately reported to the Board who oversee the Whistleblowing Policy. The Board receives annual whistleblowing updates summarising issues raised and interim updates on significant matters, while protecting anonymity. Pennon Group fosters an environment where concerns can be safely raised and properly addressed. The Board is satisfied with the effectiveness of the Whistleblowing Policy and the Ethics Management Committee in upholding ethical conduct and accountability within the Group.