The intersecting crises of the pandemic, accelerating climate change, and increasing inequality are driving associations and their members to reinvent themselves for the future. The race is on to re-engineer association mandates and member value propositions to secure their relevance and put humanity on a sustainable footing. These times call for associations to repurpose themselves to serve not just their members but society.
One association responding to the summons is UK Water, whose members are water and wastewater service suppliers in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Two years ago, the association adopted a Public Interest Commitment to:
- Encourage members to enshrine operating in the public interest within their business purpose (aka become a social purpose company).
- Work together towards achieving a net zero carbon sector, 100 per cent adoption of a Social Mobility Pledge, preventing plastic bottle waste, reducing water leakage, and ending water poverty.
With this announcement, the water industry pledged to go above and beyond the provision of clean, fresh drinking water and effective treatment of used water to deliver wider benefits to society.
Read on to learn of more associations leading the way to a better society and to pick up tips and tools for the associations you know and want to engage on CSR, ESG, Sustainability or the SDGs!
