Severn Trent sustainability score: 40/100

·Energy Supply / Utilities·Birmingham, United Kingdom·Founded 1989·Last verified 29 August 2026
40
out of 100
Below expectationsPending ReviewMixed evidence· 10 src

Severn Trent scores 40/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment — scored from public data only, no company payment can change a number. Last verified August 2026.

That places Severn Trent joint 272nd of 650 companies scored, and joint 8th of 22 in Energy Supply / Utilities.

Severn Trent operates ahead of schedule on operational emissions but Scope 3 is rising. Sewage discharge remains systemic: 42,000+ spills in 2023, a £2.07M criminal fine in 2024, and Ofwat's 'serious and unacceptable' finding. Board pay is tied to carbon targets, but physical ecosystem harm from ongoing spills undermines credibility.

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The calculation

How is Severn Trent's SINK score calculated?

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Energy Supply / Utilities sector ceiling.
55 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
58 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 55) + (0.7 × 58) = 57.1
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.7
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
40 / 100
The ten questions

What is Severn Trent doing well, and where does it fall short?

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain and Controversies & Red Flags (4/10, 5/10).

Where the evidence comes from

What evidence is Severn Trent's score based on?

10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Third-party verified
Say on Climate Assessment — Severn Trent 2025

Long-term remuneration: 50% on non-financial criteria, including 20% on carbon footprint reduction

2025
Q1Q8Q9
View →
[2]Self-reported
Net Zero Investments PR24

Based Target commits us to a 46% reduction in our direct operational Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2031

Unknown
Q1Q8
View →
[3]Self-reported
Interim Results for Six Months to 30 Sept 2024

58% of our supply chain by emissions have now committed to science-based targets.

2024
Q2Q3Q4Q5Q6
View →
[4]Third-party verified
UK Example TNFD Reports — Green Finance Institute

Severn Trent has a target to deliver fifteen percent biodiversity net gain for its capital schemes

Unknown
Q5
View →
[5]Public record
Water Quality & Sewage Spill Data — Surfers Against Sewage

Between its three most active sites...there was a combined spill time of almost 2 years of sewage discharges in 2024.

Ongoing
Q5Q7
View →
[6]Self-reported
Waste Recycling News Release — Severn Trent

This new solution will use captured carbon dioxide and use it to recover the goodness that's locked inside waste, turning it into sustainable fertiliser.

Unknown
Q6
View →
[7]Third-party verified
The Big Stink Continues: Sewage Map 2023 — Trent Rivers Trust

In 2023, the Trent and its tributaries saw over 292,000 hours of sewage being discharged, as part of 42,000+ spills

2024
Q7Q10
View →
[8]Public record
Pollution Fine & Regulatory Action — Sustainability Beat

Severn Trent has been fined over £2 million for polluting the River Trent near Stoke with huge amounts of raw sewage

2024
Q10
View →
[9]Third-party verified
ESG Ratings Aggregator — KnowESG

MSCI: AA (Leader), Refinitiv: 76/100, Sustainalytics Risk: 15.

Ongoing
Q9
View →
[10]Self-reported
Corporate Governance — Severn Trent

For the financial year ended 31 March 2025, Severn Trent PLC was compliant with all relevant provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2024

Ongoing
Q9
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Severn Trent in context

How does Severn Trent compare with other energy supply / utilities companies?

Where Severn Trent sits among energy supply / utilities peers.

Among the 22 major energy supply / utilities brands we've scored, Severn Trent is tied =8th of 22, with 1 other.

=8/22
Severn Trent's rank
38
Industry average
25
Industry low
58
Industry high
How this score has moved

Has Severn Trent's score changed?

today

Score history begins .

As Severn Trent's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

Has Severn Trent's score been challenged?

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Severn Trent

Severn Trent Water is a UK-listed utility providing water collection, treatment, and supply across the English Midlands and Wales. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Birmingham, it serves 8 million people and operates wastewater treatment across its region. It is a statutory monopoly regulated by Ofwat and the Environment Agency.

Founded
1989
Headquarters
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Employees
~9,846
Annual revenue
~£2.43B
Company website ↗
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