Water – ESG Club feature


We don’t just drink, bathe and swim in water, it is also a vital part of the Earth’s life support system. Mark Dunne looks at how institutional investors can remove pollution from our oceans, rivers and lakes to build a sustainable future.


and sinks, water companies discharge the excess into rivers, lakes and seas through overflow pipes. Sounds a reasonable plan as no one wants their home or business to be flooded. Yet the issue is that along with the water coming out of those pipes is untreated waste. This is not the only pollutant impacting the quality of our


freshwater. Rainwater washes animal waste – which fuels the growth toxin-producing algae that draws oxygen away from animals and plants – and agricultural chemicals stemming from excessive use of fertiliser and pesticides from fields into rivers, while oil “runs off” roads into our freshwater supply. This has left just 14% of rivers in England rated as being in a


Issue 125 | July-August 2023 | portfolio institutional | 31


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