Southern Water provides essential water and wastewater services to millions of customers and businesses every day. Our supply chain is central to delivering those services safely, reliably and responsibly. We are a Gold Member of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, and registration is free for all our suppliers.
Our WATER for LIFE Sustainable Procurement Framework is built around three interconnected pillars: Climate Change, Circular Economy, and Social Value. These pillars work together – climate action reduces carbon and operational costs, circular economy principles cut waste and improve efficiency, and social value strengthens community and stakeholder relationships.
We work with many supplier organisations, from large infrastructure contractors to specialist and smaller businesses. Our approach is proportionate and collaborative. Sustainability is designed into our procurement decision-making from the earliest stages, helping us manage risk, create long-term value and deliver real-world outcomes for customers, communities and the environment.
How we support our suppliers on sustainability
Sustainability capability and experience vary across our supply chain. Our approach is to support learning, collaboration and practical engagement over time, in a way that is proportionate to the work being delivered. The Supply Chain Sustainability School makes this genuinely accessible and free for all our suppliers.
Our Supplier Engagement and Contract Management teams, supported by the Procurement Excellence and Sustainability team, are available at key points in the commercial lifecycle, including tendering, contract review and contract renewal. We host voluntary supplier workshops through the SCSS on priority sustainability themes including the Carbon Calculator, designed to build shared understanding in a practical, accessible way. Support is always context-led and proportionate rather than one-size-fits-all.
Sustainability and Supply Chain
Sustainability is embedded into how we procure from the earliest stages of each procurement. Our Impact Assessment process identifies which pillars – Climate Change, Circular Economy and Social Value are relevant to each contract, and those determine what we ask for in tendering and track through contract management. Suppliers are not expected to address all themes. We welcome open, honest conversations about what is relevant, what is realistic and where constraints exist. Above all, our aim is to work with our suppliers – supporting learning, recognising progress and building long-term relationships that help deliver WATER for LIFE together.
Why we have become a Partner of the School
We became a Gold Member of the Supply Chain Sustainability School because it provides a practical and accessible way to build sustainability capability and collaboration across a supply chain as diverse as ours. It enables us to take a consistent, scalable approach while supporting our partners to develop the skills and knowledge needed to deliver more sustainable outcomes. The platform is free for our supply chain partners, sector-relevant, and trusted by suppliers across utilities and infrastructure.
The School’s Carbon Calculator is embedded in how we work, giving suppliers a simple and consistent way to report carbon impacts without needing specialist expertise.
“"Our supply chain plays a vital role in helping Southern Water deliver safe, reliable and sustainable services for our customers and communities. This is an exciting opportunity for us to strengthen how we engage with our supply chain, working collaboratively with suppliers of all sizes to support sustainability improvements over time, manage risk effectively and recognise and celebrate the progress and successes we achieve together."”Stephen Coleman, Director of Procurement and Commercial, Southern Water