Company jumped more than 40 spots on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list since last year; is among top three utilities

Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) today announced it has once again been named to 3BL Media’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for the second consecutive year, moving from #90 to #42 and placing among the top three utilities. Within the utilities industry, Essential ranked #1 in Environment, Climate Change, Human Rights and ESG Performance, and #4 in Environment overall. The ranking emphasizes Essential’s commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies.

“Our ESG work is a critical part of our company and plays an important role in our corporate strategy. Our inclusion in the list of best corporate citizens—and specifically such a large improvement in our position in one year— speaks to our commitment to become a more responsible, sustainable and equitable company,” said Christopher Franklin, chairman and CEO of Essential Utilities. “We are honored to be recognized for our progress and remain focused on setting and achieving ambitious ESG goals as we continue to think broadly about the environmental and social impact of our company.”

The 2022 methodology is based on 155 ESG factors across eight pillars: Climate Change, Environment, ESG Performance, Financial, Governance, Human Rights, Stakeholders and Society. Information is obtained from publicly available sources only.

Essential Utilities, through its subsidiaries, Aqua and Peoples Natural Gas, has more than 250 years of combined experience in operating sustainably and responsibly while ensuring safe and reliable access to the Earth’s most essential resources. In 2021, Essential reported ESG results and published new, aggressive targets for reducing carbon emissions and increasing employee and supplier diversity across the business.

In addition to this latest recognition, Essential previously announced strong ESG scores from three prominent agencies and was named to Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies list for 2022. Learn more about their ESG targets and performance at esg.essential.co.

About Essential

Essential is one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands. Essential is committed to excellence in proactive infrastructure investment, regulatory expertise, operational efficiency and environmental stewardship. The company recognizes the importance water and natural gas play in everyday life and is proud to deliver safe, reliable services that contribute to the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.essential.co.

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