For immediate release                                                                                                                 2 November 2021

Watkin Jones plc

('WJ' or the 'Group')

 Launch of ESG targets

Watkin Jones plc (AIM:WJG), the UK's leading developer and manager of residential for rent homes, announces new targets for the Group's ESG strategy. These targets have focused on three key pillars of future people, future places and future planet. Full details of the targets and a discussion on how these targets will be reached will be included in the Group's virtual Capital Markets Day presentation at 2pm today. To register, please contact Buchanan at watkinjones@buchanan.uk.com.

Our future people

WJ is focused on creating a workplace underpinned by diversity and inclusion, where health and wellbeing are a priority.

Examples of the Group's ambitions include:

·    Increase employee engagement to 80% by 2025

·    Increase employee volunteering to 5,000 hours by 2025 and 10,000 by 2030

·    Workforce population to better reflect national demographic by 2025

Our future places

WJ is focused on optimising the experience of its customers and client satisfaction by delivering buildings and services that meet their needs and are of the highest quality.

In order to engage with key stakeholders and create positive places to live, we aim to achieve:

·    NPS (customer) +10 by 2025 and +20 by 2030

·    NPS (client) +10 by 2025 and +25 by 2030

·    100% PBSA BREEAM Excellent by 2025 and 50% outstanding by 2030

·    100% BtR HQM 4 star rating by 2030

Our future planet

WJ's ambition to is to minimise the Group's environmental footprint by reducing carbon emissions within its supply chain, making workplaces and developments more energy and water efficient, and reducing waste.

In our approach to climate change, examples of WJ's commitments include:  

·    Net zero Scope 1 and 2 and a meaningful reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030

·    A requirement that all our suppliers have in place an ISO 14001 accredited environmental management system by 2025

·    Installation of heat pumps in all new developments by 2023

Richard Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Watkin Jones, said: "Reducing the carbon footprint and prioritising WJ's ESG credentials are a key priority and we hope the targets launched today demonstrate the commitment we are making to building a more sustainable future for all of our stakeholders."

For more details, see www.watkinjonesplc.com/ESG.

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Notes to Editors

Watkin Jones is the UK's leading developer and manager of residential for rent, with a focus on the build to rent and student accommodation sectors. The Group has strong relationships with institutional investors, and a reputation for successful, on-time-delivery of high quality developments.  Since 1999, Watkin Jones has delivered 46,000 student beds across 136 sites, making it a key player and leader in the UK purpose-built student accommodation market, and is increasingly expanding its operations into the build to rent sector.  In addition, Fresh, the Group's specialist accommodation management business, manages over 22,000 student beds and build to rent apartments on behalf of its institutional clients.  Watkin Jones has also been responsible for over 80 residential developments, ranging from starter homes to executive housing and apartments.  The Group is currently piloting an opportunity to re-position its homes business as a developer of affordable homes.

The Group's competitive advantage lies in its experienced management team and capital-light business model, which enables it to offer an end-to-end solution for investors, delivered entirely in-house with minimal reliance on third parties, across the entire life cycle of an asset.

Watkin Jones was admitted to trading on AIM in March 2016 with the ticker WJG.L.  For additional information please visit www.watkinjonesplc.com