The virus also reminds us of the planet’s fragility. Protecting and preserving our natural environment is critical if we are to sustain life on Earth.

As the UK faces up to the new economic, social and environmental challenges that Covid-19 has presented, companies like ours are well placed to take action – and help others do the same.

Throughout this latest Sustainability Report, we demonstrate how we are already helping communities and businesses rise to the challenge. They are using more clean energy, recycling more of their waste and finding ways to reduce the volumes of water they use all to make their products and services more circular.

Every day, the employees of Veolia UK deliver tangible solutions that are making a difference by finding efficiencies, reducing costs and lessening the environmental impact of all of our actions.

But more importantly, we are working collectively with our customers, suppliers and the residents who live in the communities where we operate to build back stronger and create more resilient and more sustainable organisations that will be able to survive and thrive now and in the future.

We made some significant progress in sustainability in 2020 and we’re excited to continue that progress – and go further – for people, customers and the environment as part of our Impact 2023 strategy and the nation’s green recovery.