How Belu Water Turned Sustainability into £6M in Social Impact: A Business Case Study

In this episode of the Sustainability Solved Podcast, hosts Will Richardson and Charlie Luxton are joined by Charlotte Harrington, Co-CEO of Belu Water, a social enterprise dedicated to clean water initiatives, exemplified by its partnership with WaterAid. To date, Belu has donated nearly £6 million to WaterAid by selling bottled water and filtration systems. With a strong corporate retail background and a deep passion for sustainability, Charlotte is on a mission to revolutionise the bottled water industry by integrating purpose with profit. Tune in to discover how she and Belu Water are transforming how we consume water! Key Highlights: Charlotte discusses Belu’s unique co-leadership model, where two CEOs with different skill sets collaborate to enhance the company’s performance. Belu started with the belief that businesses can help solve global problems. Charlotte shares the company’s journey from its inception by Reed Paget, to becoming a leading social enterprise committed to sustainability. Every decision at Belu is filtered through the lens of environmental impact, ensuring that sustainability remains a core value. Charlotte delves into Belu’s partnership with WaterAid, which provides unrestricted funds to support critical water and sanitation projects globally. Charlotte recounts a visit to Malawi, witnessing the life-changing impact of clean water access in rural communities. Belu’s expansion to Hong Kong and Singapore is discussed, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of scaling a purpose-driven business internationally. Charlie raises the discussion of the carbon footprint of bottled water compared to tap water. Charlotte acknowledges the environmental impact of bottled water but explains the practical challenges in the hospitality sector where bottled water remains crucial. The growing adoption of filtration systems in restaurants and hotels is explored, providing a sustainable alternative to bottled water. Charlotte explains her dissatisfaction with the carbon offset markets, which led Belue to focus on supporting nature-based solutions and biodiversity projects in the UK instead.  Green Element Group is an environmental management consultancy offering a range of bespoke sustainability services, products, and resources to accelerate the just transition to a stable climate. The Group consists of Green Element Limited, Compare Your Footprint Limited, and Sustainability Solved Podcast and Resource Hub. Find out more about Green Element Group here and benefit from a 20% discount on the first year of subscription to Compare Your Footprint, the highest quality carbon footprint software for your organisation. When registering, click ‘Got a Coupon’ and enter code ‘PODCAST‘ to claim discount.   A big thank you to our sponsors!  This episode of Sustainability Solved is sponsored by Business Declares, a not-for-profit business network who inspire, encourage, and accelerate action within businesses to address the climate, ecological, and social emergency. They are an active network of 100+ businesses who back our commitments to reach net-zero, restore and protect nature, and advocate for regulatory change. Join Business Declares as a member to get help accelerating your action on net-zero targets and on nature targets for your business from the network. Find out more here: Business Declares   Mentioned in this episode:Climate Transition that WorksDon't stop at carbon measurement. Go from insight to action with 51toCarbonZero. Measure & Report Effortlessly gauge your impact: swift and precise carbon footprint and ESG measurement. Transition Navigate towards net-zero and your impact goals: set accountable plans and governance. Engagement Inspire your stakeholders: the board, colleagues, suppliers, clients and investors More Than a Platform: Your Strategic Sustainability Partner Embark on your net-zero and sustainability journey with confidence with 51toCarbonZero. We go beyond providing a platform; with Climate Unlimited™, our expert advisory service, we ensure simplicity every step of the way. See us as an extension to your team; guiding you through the measurement process, charting your net-zero path, obtaining disclosures, engaging your stakeholders, consulting on complex climate subjects as well as addressing any questions that arise. 51-0