The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters.
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BETTER
WATER,
BETTER BUSINESS
Leading companies across industries can be profitable and sustainable by strategically managing this vital and increasingly scarce asset.
Every industry needs water to survive.
Water is integral to operations and manufacturing in many ways, including the fabricating, cleaning, heating, cooling, and moving of products, as well as the powering and maintenance of facilities and infrastructure1.
1 USGS Water Resources Mission Area, “Industrial Water Use,” March 1, 2019
More than 4 out of 10 companies are experiencing substantive risk related to water in their operations or along their value chain.
But this finite resource is in peril.
Global demand for water is expected to increase by 1% each year, with the manufacturing sector largely driving up this need2,3. Already, more than four out of 10 companies are experiencing a substantive risk related to water in their operations or along their value chain that could undermine their entire business, such as water scarcity and declining water quality4.
Plus, the treatment of water to make it fit for commercial use requires a lot of energy. Smart water management can make a huge difference in your organization’s water and energy consumption, overall environmental footprint and costs.
2 UNESCO, “Nature-based Solutions for Water: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2018”, 2018
3 OECD, “OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050”, June 2012
4 CDP, “Riding the Wave”, March 2023
Your company’s impact on the environment not only reflects on your value chain, but it also matters to…
Customers
Employees
Governments and Legislators
Boards and Shareholders
Forward-thinking organizations already know they can advance sustainability and grow their business simultaneously. They also know that the cost of mitigating supply chain water risk is nearly three times less than the cost of impact5.
Business and climate goals are intrinsically linked to water strategies. Our Ecolab Water for Climate™ program can promote sustainable business growth and turn your climate commitments into meaningful action and savings across your enterprise.
5 CDP, “Stewardship at the Source,” March 2024
A RIPPLE EFFECT
The industrial use of water has significant environmental and financial costs globally and locally.
Global water withdrawals
About 20% of global water withdrawals is for industry use6.
Of that amount, only 20% is treated and recycled for additional use7.
The rest effectively becomes pollution that enters our waterways.
40%
%
Freshwater Supply
Water Scarcity
43.6%
Yet, 43.6% of companies across industries report that water scarcity poses a significant risk to their direct operations or value chain10.
Select Industries
78.3%
64.4%
58.3%
57.2%
41.3%
38.5%
17.2%
Power generation
Infrastructure
Food, beverage, and agriculture
Materials
Biotech, healthcare, and pharma
Manufacturing
Transportation services
9 Source: CDP, “Riding the Wave,” March 2023
10 Ibid.
Freshwater Supply
Water Scarcity
A reliable supply of freshwater is vital to the direct operations of
63.7%
of companies across industries, on average9.
Select Industries
95.7%
85.1%
84.8%
79.3%
79.2%
58.0%
41.4%
Power generation
Biotech, healthcare, and pharma
Food, beverage, and agriculture
Materials
Infrastructure
Manufacturing
Transportation services
9 Source: CDP, “Riding the Wave,” March 2023
10 Ibid.
Industrial water use has impacts far beyond local groundwater, aquifers and watersheds, and the distribution, storage and usage of industrial water is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions11.
Effective management of water resources and usage is key to our collective decarbonization journey.
11 CDP, “A wave of change: The role of companies in building a water-secure world,” 2020
THIRSTING FOR CHANGE
Efficiently managing and optimizing your company’s water usage could boost profitability, business growth and your organization’s competitive edge in the eyes of stakeholders.
Customers are making conscious purchases and prospective talent are making career choices based on corporate sustainability initiatives and values:
80%
%
of consumers are willing to pay more for goods that are produced or sourced using sustainable practices14.
14 PwC, “Consumers willing to pay 9.7% sustainability premium, even as cost-of-living and inflationary concerns weigh: PwC 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey,” May 15, 2024
Business leaders are taking note.
87
%
plan to increase their organization's investment and action in issues related to sustainability due to pressure from stakeholders15.
15 Gartner, “Gartner Survey Finds 87% of Business Leaders Expect to Increase Sustainability Investment Over the Next Two Years,” Nov. 14, 2022
The following percentages of executives say the most stakeholder pressure comes from these key groups:
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Customers
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Investors
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Regulators
By engaging with their investors on corporate responsibility issues, business leaders also see benefits, including major increases in financial value across several areas16:
33%
Risk mitigation
35%
Access to new capital sources
30%
Better business resiliency
34%
Customer loyalty and retention
27%
Brand reputation
16 KPMG, “KPMG U.S. ESG and Financial Value Survey: Businesses report ESG delivers value in many ways, but hurdles remain,” September 2023
What barriers do companies face as they progress toward their long-term sustainability targets17?
42
%
say their biggest barrier is a lack of strategic alignment across key stakeholders, including investors, board members, and business unit heads.
31
%
lack an implementation plan that defines priorities, timeframes, key milestones, and KPIs.
33
%
lack the data to identify and prioritize their company’s key opportunities and risks related to sustainability.
17 L.E.K., “Putting Sustainability at the Heart of Strategy: L.E.K. Global Corporate Sustainability Survey,” 2022
PROFITS AND WATER STEWARDSHIP CAN GO TOGETHER
Here’s the refreshing news:
Water conservation does not have to come at the expense of your company’s growth, and it can create significant benefits.
Our Ecolab Water for Climate™ program takes a four-step holistic approach to identifying and implementing tiered, outcome-based solutions that leverage the power of water to drive profitability and sustainability goals specific to you and your industry.
1
First,
we collaboratively work with you to dig into your goals.
We review your organization’s water and climate targets.
We develop an approach to meet your targets within your operational constraints.
We distinguish site-level goals and enterprise-wide goals.
2
Second,
we distill insights.
We organize asset-level surveys and operational site assessments.
We conduct end-to-end engineering audits.
We develop roadmaps to reach goals across your enterprise.
3
Third,
we implement action.
We formulate water solutions specific to your industry and unique situation.
We provide resources to help manage their implementation through auditing, consulting, engineering, advanced chemistries, and digital technologies.
4
Finally,
we deliver outcomes together.
We collaborate with you to create enterprise-wide outcomes and value by helping to reduce water usage, save energy, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce costs and protect brand equity. For example…
Beverage and brewing manufacturing industry leaders can reduce:
Data center leaders can reduce:
GHG emissions by
6%
water usage by
25%
energy consumption by
12%
water usage by
31%
Actual results will vary based on individual site design and operation.
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JUMP IN TODAY
By taking a comprehensive view of operational performance and implementing a proactive model of continuous improvement, our Ecolab Water for Climate™ program can help your organization achieve its ambitious sustainability goals without compromising business growth.
Water will shape the future of business.
The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters.
Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.