At Copper consultancy, we are delighted to be officially launching the Reputation Working Group with the Future Water Association.
The unprecedented challenges the sector faces are widely known. Climate change, population growth and more extreme weather are straining water resources and increasing pressure on wastewater assets and networks.
Expectations on the sector from government, stakeholders and customers have changed far more rapidly than the sector and its regulators can keep up with.
We want the Reputation Steering Group to help the sector focus on the opportunities it has: to make the positive case for new infrastructure, to push towards its net zero ambitions and to change how it’s perceived – both by the public and politicians.
There is no silver bullet, and we know water companies have to respond to issues as they arise – especially operational incidents. However, the sector needs to respond in a cohesive, proactive way. Otherwise we risk letting a vocal minority dictate the industry’s narrative.
This group sits alongside the sector, bringing expertise from customer insight, public affairs and communications with the supply chain and academia with a view to driving the honest conversation across the sector – informed by insight and data.
We want to focus on the root cause of reputational challenges – providing a proactive view beyond operational reactive communications. By sharing best practice and enabling the sector to tell positive stories we can help it control its own narrative.
We’re really excited to be starting our work with the Future Water Association and the Reputation Steering Group!