UK water retailer retains global gold sustainability award status after increasing its EcoVadis score to 83/100, placing the company in the 98th percentile of organisations assessed worldwide.
Edinburgh-based Business Stream improved its overall score from 80/100 last year to 83/100 in the January 2026 assessment. The company recorded higher performance across environment, labour and human rights, and sustainable procurement, while maintaining its ethics score.
UK water retailer retains global gold sustainability award amid rising ESG scrutiny
EcoVadis assesses more than 150,000 companies across over 200 industries using international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000.
Business Stream’s environmental score increased from 86 to 88, labour and human rights rose from 75 to 80, and sustainable procurement improved from 79 to 83. The company maintained a score of 79 in ethics.
Sophia Goring, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Business Stream, said the assessment provides benchmarking against international best practice and identifies areas for continued improvement.
Alignment with Science Based Targets and UN Global Compact
The retailer confirmed it has committed to set near- and long-term emission reduction targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The submission also referenced a Customer Vulnerability Framework aimed at strengthening inclusive support and frontline training.
Business Stream is a member of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. Membership requires annual reporting on progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Environmental, social and governance performance is becoming increasingly scrutinised across the UK water sector, particularly as retailers and wholesalers seek to demonstrate climate resilience, supply chain transparency and social value delivery.
For further coverage on sustainability and governance in the water sector, visit our Legislation & Governance section.
