A recently published briefing by Ethical Corporation reveals that although there is a water crisis, there are many global initiatives working to help solve the crisis.
London 14/10/11
The 8-page management briefing highlights that by 2020, humanity’s demand for water will outstrip supply by 40%. In 20 years’ time, the United Nations forecasts that almost half of the world’s population will live in areas of water scarcity.
The briefing outlines how this situation has caused companies, NGOs and governments to work together to come up with new innovative solutions. From India to Ecuador there are policies, laws, initiatives and funds in place to tackle the increasing water crisis.
To be successful the initiatives and funds need input from companies. In supporting and helping achieve the aims of the innovative water initiatives, companies are realising many benefits themselves.
The briefing highlights how SABMiller is supporting the Quito Water Fund in Ecuador, both financially and with their expertise. This fund is proving to be so successful SABMiller are now working with The Nature Conservancy in creating a water fund in Lima, Peru.
Andy Wales, head of sustainable development at SABMiller highlights “the advantage of working with a group like The Nature Conservancy is they can bring a number of companies together to look at the wider geographical area, enabling companies to understand the bigger picture.”
Andy later states in the briefing that “individual users focus has to be kept on specific intervention that helps the business grow in the future.”
Coca-Cola, another pioneering company in the water investment programmes, is supplying the Water Fund programme with, amongst other things, its business expertise.
“Ultimately, water funds need structuring and accounting systems based on the level of detail specific water flows and loads – sediment, nitrogen, etc – avoided,” says Greg Koch, managing director of global water stewardship at Coca-Cola.
One of the key challenges for the fund managers and NGOs is to get companies to proactively tackle the issues at watershed level.
In the briefing Jason Morrsion, technical director of the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, credits WWF for showing the business community through its Water Futures partnership with SABMiller just how a company can do that. Jason goes on to state that the next step is to get buy-in from the wider community.
Companies such as PepsiCo, SABMiller and Coca-Cola are leading the way in water management. However, most companies within the drinks industry are still trying to discover what they need to do to make their supply chain more water friendly.
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Ethical Corporation was established in 2001 and provides business intelligence for sustainability to more than 3,000 multinational companies every year. Ethical Corporation publishes the leading responsible business magazine, website, and research reports.
For more information on this briefing or Ethical Corporation contact:
Liam Dowd
Marketing Manager
Ethical Corporation: Business Intelligence for Sustainability
+44 (0)207 375 7238