EPA’s Climate Ready Water Utilities program, in conjunction with the sustainable investment advocacy organization CERES, recently launched a workgroup to discuss the potential for integrating the concept of climate readiness into credit rating assessments for drinking water and wastewater utilities. The workgroup comprises water utilities as well as individuals from credit ratings agencies and investor institutions. The workgroup is not a Federal Advisory Committee, as it is not charged with providing advice to EPA.
Although AMWA is not officially a workgroup member, AMWA staff attended the first workgroup meeting November 13-14 in Denver and will be working with utility participants to shape the process. EPA has indicated the workgroup itself would drive the process and the outcomes. As a result of the discussions and concerns raised during the first meeting, the workgroup’s scope could change. AMWA will continue to update members on this initiative as it develops.