Water hygiene company Ecolab and not-for-profit environmental organisation CDP have launched an index to help companies measure water usage – and a pilot is now under way for the drinks industry.
Dubbed the Water Use Efficiency Index, the new benchmark is designed to help corporate organisations measure, compare, and improve operational water performance.
Ecolab and CDP unveiled the tool at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week. The idea of the index is to offer sector‑specific ranges for ‘best‑in‑class’ water use efficiency and optimised targets, so business leaders have a clear view of where they stand with water use in their operations and how to improve.
Specifically, the pilot for this project is being undertaken with the beverage and brew segment of the food, beverage and agriculture industry, which is one of the most water‑intensive sectors globally.
The ultimate aim is to generate insight that companies can use to benchmark performance against peers, identify opportunities to improve efficiency, and build a roadmap to scale more circular water management approaches across their enterprise.
And the thinking is that improving efficiency reduces costs, strengthens resilience, and eases pressure on shared water resources – which will become increasingly important, as United Nations research suggests global freshwater demand is projected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030. Other research predicts an even wider gap.
Christophe Beck, chairman & CEO of Ecolab, commented: “Water is the foundation of life and business.
“Every breakthrough depends on water, and the private sector has an incredible opportunity to reimagine how we manage this vital resource. Our partnership with CDP aims to be the catalyst for industrial water use transformation. By championing best-in-class operational water performance, companies can embark toward a future of meaningful growth and positive impact.”
Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP, which is an independent environmental disclosure platform and recently published its ‘A-list’ of global companies proactively publicly disclosing sustainability information, said: “Water is a critical economic input.
“It is integral to growth and success across industries including AI, semiconductors, and manufacturing. As water stress intensifies, companies that understand, manage and improve their water use will be better positioned to protect margins, secure supply chains and attract capital.”
The new index draws on CDP’s database of more than 10,000 annual corporate water disclosures, Ecolab’s insights from millions of customer locations across 40 industries and 170 countries, and relevant data from leading trade organisations.
Emilio Tenuta, chief sustainability officer at Ecolab, remarked: “By combining CDP’s leading disclosure data with Ecolab’s industry water use expertise, we are giving companies a clear view of where they stand operationally compared to industry norms and best‑in‑class performance.
“Together with CDP, we are helping companies turn disclosure into action to drive performance, improve efficiency and lower costs.”
[image credit: Green Retail World]
