Water stewardship in the supply chain – moving beyond the tip of the iceberg Posted October 11, 2017 by Stefanie Woodward As interest in water stewardship grows, sustainable management of an organization’s direct water footprint is becoming increasingly common. Organizations of all types, from technology to financial services to academia, are taking the first steps in their water stewardship journeys. The first step in sustainable water management is getting your house in order, meaning: report and disclose water withdrawals, consumption, discharge and risks; improve efficiency of direct operations; and recycle and reuse water when feasible Once your water stewardship efforts have addressed direct operations, the next step is to consider the supply chain. For many organizations, this is where most water-related impact is concentrated. Engaging suppliers on water can be a challenge, as often organizations don’t have direct control over the production or management in the supply chain. While managing water withdrawals, consumption and discharge are vital to a successful water strategy, ensuring that your suppliers respect the human right to Read More
World Water Day 2017 and Wastewater Posted March 22, 2017 by Stefanie Woodward Every year on World Water Day the United Nations, governments, companies and individuals focus their attention on how best to address the world’s pressing water issues. This year, the theme of World Water Day is wastewater. Access to safe water is a key issue in the fight to eradicate poverty, and much of this precious resource is wasted, rather than being treated and reused. “Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.”[1] Wastewater and the SDGS The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched in 2015, include a goal focused on ensuring universal access to safe water (SDG 6). One important component of SDG 6 is a target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse (SDG Read More
