I have mentioned in another post that I have a new report out today on the water industry. It has been worked on over months: the timing of the publication is simply opportune.
The report is rather more technical and much more referenced than the thread on this issue, focussing in part on the use of sustainable cost accounting to demonstrate that the English water companies are, in my opinion, environmentally insolvent, meaning that they cannot eliminate their environmental damage and remain in business.
If serious researchers would like the underlying data I am happy to share it.
The photo is of the North Tyne in Northumberland, taken during my recent holiday.
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Thank you for the blog and your insights.
Have you looked at the issuance of debt and who actually owns the debt. I have had my suspicions that it is a similar group to the main shareholders and the interest payments are in effect a way to extract another dividend.
A part of the debt is certainly of the sort you describe
A realistic appraisal of of the shambles that is water supply in England. The sources of funding ISA proposal is a good one – not a magic money tree, though it might just shuffle existing ISA money.
Just a suggestion about terminology.
“sustainable cost accounting” should be “sustainability cost accounting”.
“Sustainable cost accounting” suggests doing cost accounting sustainably, like having solar powered calculators.
“Sustainability cost accounting” is accounting that recognises the cost of sustainability.
Noted
Thanks for this interesting work!
How do you find the time ??? … Great work!
This crisis relates to Hanauer’s criticism of his fellow plutocrats. They are sabotaging social cohesion, democracy and capitalism. Their shortcuts are unsustainable.
https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_hanauer_the_dirty_secret_of_capitalism_and_a_new_way_forward
This work is part of that I am paid to do via a grant from Copenhagen Business School
Having now had the time to read your excellent report all I can say is that it reifies the paucity of thinking behind money as a resource. Apparently, its OK to collect money (as with ISAs) but not use it for any thing useful.
Apparently just having money is all that matters to some folks – never mind putting it to good use.
Oh sorry – how foolish of me – its been allocated to other emerging markets hasn’t it – private healthcare and visits to the Titanic for example and any number of useless things that markets create it seems.
You get what I am talkinmg about
There is a massive disconnect where there needs to be action