A range of Leeds businesses unite to better protect the city from future flooding by joining the Aire Resilience Company.

A range of Leeds businesses unite to better protect the city from future flooding by joining the Aire Resilience Company.

The Aire Resilience Company has officially commenced trading, after entering into contract with a selection of Leeds businesses. This marks the start of an innovative and sustainable business model to better protect Leeds from flooding now and in the future.

The Aire Resilience Company (ARC) was established in 2025 through a collaboration between Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency and the Rivers Trust, supported by the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Its purpose is to establish a sustainable model to increase climate resilience for the communities and infrastructure in Leeds/the Aire catchment, as climate change brings increased chance of flooding in the coming decades.

ARC’s target is to reduce peak flows on the river by 5% during a large flood. This figure has been calculated to offset the increased river levels that we will see by the year 2069. It will achieve this through installing natural flood management (NFM) in the upper and mid Aire catchment. NFM, such as tree planting and soil aeration, is proven to be effective in reducing flooding, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity and increasing the productivity of farmland.

Meeting this target requires one of the largest NFM schemes in the history of the UK.

ARC will build on existing progress in the region, made by various organisations in the past, including as part of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, to plant 750,000 trees and carry out soil and land management techniques across 1304ha of land. NFM on this scale cannot be reliably solved through traditional funding arrangements, and reaching this target is only half of the challenge, as the measures require regular maintenance across many years to remain effective.

ARC has been created to think differently to solve this challenge. Its innovative model receives funding through a consortium of Leeds-based businesses who recognise the importance of acting now to prevent the impacts of climate change. Each business agrees to contribute annually, usually as part of a five-year contract. ARC will continue to recruit businesses as required to sustain the works indefinitely.

This funding combines to enable NFM delivery partners, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Aire Rivers Trust and White Rose Forest, to collaborate with farmers and landowners in the mid and upper Aire catchment to implement measures on their land and supplies them with a continuous funding source to maintain those measures into the future.

ARC has now successfully raised the funding required to begin NFM works and is in contract with a range of businesses from the Leeds area. As of 24/2/26, those business partners and funders joining Yorkshire Water as our lead business partner are (in alphabetical order):

• Andel
• Azets
• Beyondly
• Hogan Lovells
• ITV
• Johnson Mowat
• Leeds Bradford Airport
• Leeds Building Society
• Leeds City Council
• Lloyds Banking Group
• Quod
• Sainsbury’s
• Steeper
• University of Leeds
• Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee

Georgina Mitchell, Chair of the Board for the Aire Resilience Company, said:

“The Aire Resilience Company model provides a sustainable, long-term solution to alleviating the risks of climate change that benefits everyone. Our business partners, delivery partners and landowners each play an integral role in creating a healthier and more resilient environment for both people and wildlife from Malham to Leeds.

The benefits of ARC will protect the people, businesses and infrastructure of Leeds from the devastating impact of flooding. They also stretch beyond Leeds City Centre – the communities in the Upper Aire are likely to feel the benefits of improved water quality, biodiversity and improved farmland.”

“Raising the funds to begin trading is an incredible milestone for Leeds. I’d like to thank all the business partners who have joined us. ARC works because of the collaborative ethos. We’re fortunate that there are businesses and partners here in Leeds who care deeply about enhancing the resilience of the city and improving the environment for the wider area. We’re incredibly grateful to all organisations and welcome any likeminded business to support our cause. The climate emergency affects all of us, and you can be part of the mitigation.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development, said:

"Our Ambition for Leeds is to be a healthy, growing, thriving and resilient city. As climate change worsens over time, ARC's work will protect our people, communities, businesses and services from the disruption and destruction of a flood, as well as the financial and environmental cost of clearing up after a flood. Managing flood risk through sustainable and natural methods such as this is a cornerstone in our target to be the UK’s first net zero and nature positive city.

"Being climate resilient creates the conditions for healthier lives, cohesive neighbourhoods and a growing economy by reducing risks to physical and mental health, protecting community spaces, unlocking new land for the development and keeping our transport networks moving. Such vitally important work needs a sustainable way to carry on for decades to come, the Aire Resilience Company has found the solution to make this possible. Each organisation and individual who play a role in this model are a perfect example of Team Leeds in action - working together to benefit everyone who calls this region home."

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust, said:

“The Rivers Trust is proud to have been at the heart of developing and delivering the Aire Resilience Company. This trailblazing project has demonstrated that it is possible to work across local government, private business and the third sector to collaborate and deliver climate resilience at a catchment scale through the use of nature-based solutions supplementing existing flood defences. ARC is an example of how cross-sector collaboration can bring meaningful benefit to all and builds a credible case for this approach being used more widely for the benefit of our businesses, communities, and the environment.”

Nicola Shaw, CEO of Yorkshire Water said:

"At Yorkshire Water, we recognise that local collaboration and true partnership are essential in tackling the challenges presented by climate change. As Aire Resilience Company (ARC)’s Lead Partner, we’re committed to building climate resilience across our business and the local communities we serve, delivering what our region needs and ensuring we can continue to provide essential water and wastewater services for generations to come.

Through our partnership with ARC, we aim not only to protect Leeds and its surrounding areas from the increasing risks of flooding, but also to foster a strong, healthy environment where people, businesses, and nature can thrive. We’re delighted to be part of this innovative, forward-thinking initiative and encourage others to join us in this vital work to build a legacy of resilience and secure a more sustainable future for Yorkshire.”