In a letter released by the United Nations Global Compact Office, the chief executive officers of 19 corporations call on G8 leaders to actively address the issue of water during their upcoming Hokkaido Toyako Summit on 7-9 July in Japan. The business leaders are all endorsers of the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, which was launched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2007.

“[I]t is increasingly clear that lack of access to clean water and sanitation in many parts of the world causes great suffering in humanitarian, social, environmental and economic terms, and seriously undermines development goals”, the letter states.

It is estimated that approximately one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. The letter cites a recent United Nations Development Report, which argues that the costs to sub-Saharan African economies of not having basic universal access to water and sanitation represent about five percent of gross domestic product.

“Thus, water is not just an environmental issue – it is a poverty and development issue, an economic issue, and therefore a business issue”, the chief executives state.

The letter notes that in 2000, world leaders committed to the Millennium Development Goals, including a concrete target to “[h]alve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation”.

The letter calls on leaders of the G8 countries to take a number of actions, including: re-affirming the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goal related to water in G8 Summit preparatory documents and in final communiqués; fulfilling their Gleneagles commitment on water and sanitation by ensuring that allocations for safe drinking water and sanitation increase as a percent of all official development assistance (ODA), and that ODA increases overall; and encouraging non-G8 nations to pay more attention to the Millennium Development Goal related to water.

The business leaders also urge the G8 leaders to work more actively with the international business community, through initiatives such as The CEO Water Mandate.

“We are pleased that business leaders have taken the initiative and are urging governments to take seriously this emerging crisis”, said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “This also represents an appeal for partnership, and in this way underscores the fact that today’s global problems demand collective and coordinated action”.

The signing chief executives represent the following companies: Diageo; Hayleys PLC; Hindustan Construction Company; Läckeby Water AB; Levi Strauss & Co.; Liqum Oy; Metito (Overseas) Limited; Nestlé S.A.; Netafim Ltd.; PepsiCo, Inc.; SABMiller plc; Siemens AG; Suez; SunOpta Inc.; The Coca-Cola Company; The Dow Chemical Company; Unilever; Westpac Banking Corporation; WPP.

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Download the CEO letter.

Contacts

Gavin Power
Head, The CEO Water Mandate
UN Global Compact

powerg@un.org
+1-917-679-8144 (mobile)

Matthias Stausberg
Spokesperson
UN Global Compact

stausberg@un.org
+1-917-367-3423
+1-917-214-1337 (mobile)

Participants engaged in the sharing of emerging practices related to water and supply chains — including discussions on assessing, measuring, and managing water-use impacts, risks and opportunities. Day two of the conference focused on the draft Transparency Framework for The CEO Water Mandate. Developed in partnership with the Pacific Institute, the ultimate goal of the Transparency Framework is to establish transparency policies, objectives, and actions that are deemed valuable and credible by endorsers and key interests.

Launched by the UN Secretary-General in July 2007, The CEO Water Mandate represents both a policy framework for water sustainability as well as a call-to-action to the global business community. Thus far it has been endorsed by 31 chief executive officers.

A summary of the Stockholm conference will be posted on the UN Global Compact website within the next several weeks.

To access the agenda of the meeting, please click here.

To access the list of meeting participants, please click here.

Learn more about The CEO Water Mandate.

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

‘It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the United Nations for the first United Nations Private Sector Forum on the Millennium Development Goals and food sustainability.

While stepping into this room, I felt a little bit embarrassed; I am not invited officially to this luncheon. My challenge is, while we are talking about food sustainability, where is my food?

I am going to have three speeches today during lunchtime, without lunch. I have four dinner invitations, but in the end, no dinner. That is my challenge today.

I hope you will understand when I have to leave for another engagement, but I am very much grateful for your commitment and leadership on this very important subject.

This is also the first time that the United Nations is reaching out to business while national leaders meet for their annual general debate. You are here at a critical time, on the eve of our summit to step up efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Frankly, I am worried that we are going to miss this historic opportunity to reach the Goals. The very grave fact is that many countries are not on track. That is exactly why I decided to convene this high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, our blueprint for 2015 and the twenty-first century. That is exactly why, yesterday, during my general debate report, that I have proposed another summit-level formal meeting in 2010. We had such a meeting in 2000 and 2005. All the leaders came. They adopted the Millennium Development Goals, the Outcome Document, and I think it would be appropriate for us to meet in 2010, just five years before, to see how and where we will be standing at the time, and to recommit the leaders’ will and try to mobilize resources. I hope you will all support this. You have a long and powerful reach to all Government leaders, so I hope we can get agreement on this matter. I count on President [Paul] Kagame’s leadership, together with many African leaders.

Of course, I will be meeting with many Government leaders this week. But I also deeply appreciate the opportunity to speak to you, because we need more private sector engagement in this campaign. Governments may hold the primary responsibility for the Millennium Development Goals, but we all have a common interest in success.

Poverty is something that no one should endure. Markets can flourish only in societies that are healthy. And societies need healthy markets to flourish.

That is why we have to boost our private-public alliance. We need to bring knowledge, resources and innovation together in a way that links sustainability with opportunities for growth. One important lesson, which I can say always with confidence, is that, in this world, not anybody, not any nation, can do [everything] without very strong partnership between Governments. We are talking about the United Nations and business communities and private non-governmental organizations, civil society, these are three important pillars. Now I am meeting you as one of those three pillars. That is why we have to boost our private-public alliance.

This is critical because we are facing a development emergency. The high cost of food and fuel is causing millions of people to go hungry. Insecurity and even violence could easily follow.

The United Nations has a Comprehensive Framework for Action to respond to the food crisis. This is what this High-Level Task Force has drafted through several meetings. I think all the relevant United Nations agencies participated, together with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization. This can be called a very comprehensive work, done comprehensively. This contains many guidelines and recommendations. This is not an intergovernmental negotiated document; this was agreed among so many United Nations-related agencies. I hope that leaders will consider this Framework while formulating their national domestic policies.

One of the important messages is that we need to invest more in agriculture, while we address the short-term gaps which have been [filled] by [the World Food Programme (WFP)], the World Bank, [the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)] and [the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)]. So we need to have a detailed longer-term, investment in agriculture.

I think that now is the time for more intense efforts. The United Nations Global Compact has already brought together nearly 5,000 businesses from over 130 countries. They are advancing responsible business practices and contributing to the Millennium Development Goals.

The United Nations family is ready to strengthen these ties. Whenever I travel, I have met Global Compact leaders, and if there is no Global Compact, I try to launch a Global Compact during my visit. That has become one of my missions, one of my pleasures.

I am encouraged that we already have a number of United Nations-business initiatives: the CEO Water Mandate; the Global Alliance for IT and Development; and Caring for Climate. I urge you to join them and spread the message.

Today, we are launching a new guide on food sustainability. It is filled with inspiring examples about companies that are making a difference. Like EcoProfit, which is helping to produce high-quality compost that can be used in organic farming.

Or projects to help reduce the pesticides used to fight locusts. And initiatives that use technology, helping rural people transfer funds with text messages, and extending mobile network coverage to protect fishermen from piracy.

You will also hear about new engagement opportunities, including the Business Call to Action.

And you will be focusing on core themes that go straight to the heart of the problem: water; agriculture; financial mechanisms; nutrition; energy; technology; and job creation.

I hope you will use this opportunity to share experiences and find common ground to help reach our shared goals.

You already know how to seize opportunities and enter new markets. You launch new products all the time. Now it is time to use that expertise to reach our shared goals.

We have to turn the responsibility of business into the business of responsibility.

I have every confidence that you can make this happen.

You all have fresh perspectives on the problems in our world, and you have already shown dedication and leadership.

The talent and reach in this room is enormous. If you use it to help people who are suffering, we will all live in a more prosperous and stable world.

Thank you very much for you commitment and leadership.

Thank you.’

The Transparency Policy is the outcome of extensive discussions among endorsing companies in consultation with key non-business stakeholders, including civil society organizations and specialized water groups. It is derived from the Transparency Framework for the CEO Water Mandate, also released today, which describes the underlying transparency principles and related objectives of the initiative.

“This Transparency Policy is a key milestone in the evolution of the CEO Water Mandate”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact Office and Head of the CEO Water Mandate. “In order to be legitimate and meaningful, it is critical that the initiative seriously incorporates the tenets of transparency and public accountability. By linking the CEO Water Mandate to the UN Global Compact’s Communication on Progress policy, we hope to achieve this. Moreover, these disclosures can potentially form a rich repository of best and emerging practices, which can serve an important learning and knowledge-sharing function”.

Mr. Power added that the Transparency Policy and the related Transparency Framework can offer valuable guidance for all companies as they seek to expand water sustainability practices and related disclosure on progress, risks and opportunities. “Water management in the broadest sense, including impacts in the supply chain and watershed responsibility, is a frontier area for the vast majority of companies”, said Mr Power. “And, as one might expect, current water reporting practices are inadequate given the increasing materiality of water as a resource. The CEO Water Mandate offers a framework to assist companies in developing appropriate water policies and practices, and the Transparency Policy and its underlying principles can help these same enterprises in their disclosure to key stakeholders”.

In related news, the UN Global Compact Office today also released the report of the CEO Water Mandate’s second working conference, which took place in Stockholm on 21-22 August.

Click here to download the Transparency Policy.

Click here to download the Transparency Framework.

Click here to download the Stockholm conference report.

Click here to access information on the CEO Water Mandate.

Contact

Gavin Power
UN Global Compact Office

powerg@un.org

Commissioned by the CEO Water Mandate, the comprehensive analysis by the Pacific Institute concludes that better and more expansive disclosure is critical for understanding the true risks and impacts associated with companies’ water needs.

“Many companies are disclosing important aspects of water management in their corporate sustainability reports, but the study demonstrates that very few are conveying complete and consistent information on a range of important water issues”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact and Head of the CEO Water Mandate initiative. “This groundbreaking study assesses current and emerging practices and presents critical guidance for companies seeking to advance responsible and sustainable approaches”.

Water Disclosure 2.0 – Assessment of Current and Emerging Practice in Corporate Water Reporting examines and analyzes corporate reporting on water sustainability for 110 companies across 11 water-intensive sectors. The assessment tracks the six key elements addressed by the CEO Water Mandate: Direct Operations, Supply Chain and Watershed Management, Collective Action, Public Policy, Community Engagement, and Transparency.

Managing water use and impacts is increasingly important in a world where water scarcity is becoming more pronounced, with climate change exacerbating water problems and uncertainty.

“There are a range of commonalities, differences, and gaps among water reports”, said Jason Morrison, program director at the Pacific Institute and lead author of the report. “By laying out the various reporting approaches and issues covered, including showcasing good practices, the CEO Water Mandate is providing de facto guidance for businesses to improve their water reporting, recognizing that it is increasingly going to matter for their business success and security and for stakeholder and community confidence and support.”

Water Disclosure 2.0 will be officially presented at a CEO Water Mandate seminar, scheduled to take place in Istanbul on 16 March 2009 at the World Water Forum.

In related news, the UN Global Compact Office today also released an independent review of the CEO Water Mandate’s 2008 activities. The review, which was commissioned by the CEO Water Mandate and undertaken by Arthur D. Little, the global consultancy, assesses the CEO Water Mandate with respect to a number of areas – including governance, working conferences, stakeholder participation, and transparency. The review will also be presented at the Istanbul conference.

• Water Disclosure 2.0 (pdf)
• CEO Water Mandate – Independent Review of 2008 Programme of Activities (pdf)
• Press Release by the Pacific Institute
• The CEO Water Mandate

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org
212 963 4681

• How climate change is expected to impact water scarcity, water quality, and water demand;
• The ways in which water and energy are interconnected, including trade-off scenarios;
• The business risks of water and climate change;
• How businesses can strategically manage water-climate risks;
• And the linkages between climate and water and the UN Millennium Development Goals.

“This paper underscores the importance of viewing the many ways in which different environmental challenges are in fact deeply connected, and the need to approach these issues in an integrated way”, said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “Climate change needs to be understood in terms of how it will impact a range of other issues – such as water, food, energy, and, of course, development and poverty”.

Climate Change and the Global Water Crisis: What Businesses Need to Know and Do (pdf)

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
+1 212 963 4681

powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
+1 510 251 1600
jmorrison@pacinst.org

Background

In 2007, the UN Secretary-General, in partnership with international business leaders and under the auspices of the UN Global Compact, launched the CEO Water Mandate – an initiative established to better understand and advance water stewardship in the private sector. Since its inception, the Mandate has held semi-annual multi-stakeholder workshops, focusing to date primarily on one of the initiative’s six core elements. The Mandate’s 3rd Working Conference – held in Istanbul in March 2009 at the Fifth World Water Forum – was aimed at better understanding the Mandate’s ” Public Policy” element. At this meeting, in recognition of widespread confusion by companies and stakeholder concern on this topic, the Mandate decided to create a best practice guidance on business engagement with water policy.

This Guide ultimately aims to provide principles, concepts, practical steps, and case examples that can facilitate companies’ responsible engagement with water policy in a manner that reduces business risks while advancing policy goals and positively impacting nearby communities and ecosystems. In doing this, the Guide will:

1. Define and explore components of public water policy and the way businesses interface with them;
2. Discuss the types of water-related business risks and the way they can be mitigated through policy engagement, while considering the various hydrologic, economic, and political contexts in which businesses operate;
3. Elucidate the various spheres of engagement, operational dimensions, and entry points for engagement in water policy; and
4. Identify principles and good practices/approaches while highlighting potential pitfalls to avoid.

The Guide will acknowledge and address key concerns and reservations among some stakeholders regarding corporate involvement with policy decisions, steering companies toward engagement strategies and practices that are integrated, inclusive, and equitable.

Workplan

The CEO Water Mandate Secretariat is now soliciting public comment on a preliminary annotated outline for this guidance document. The purpose of this initial consultation is to help define the scope and focus the Guide’s content through input from a range of interested stakeholders.

The UN Global Compact Office invites the public, stakeholders, and other interested parties to provide input at this initial stage in the Guide’s development, and asks the comments be submitted to PolicyEngagementGuide@pacinst.org by 4 September 2009. Those providing comment should indicate which stakeholder categorization (below) best describes the organization’s (or individual) perspective:

1. Government
2. Civil society / NGO
3. Labour
4. Academia
5. Industry
6. Consultancy
7. Personal view / No affiliation

Please also identify the organizational (or individual) geographic perspective, using one of the following categories:

1. “Developing” country / Emerging economy / Global South
2. Industrialized country
3. Global
4. Not applicable

Comments received before August 14th will be compiled and presented anonymously to stakeholders and endorsing companies attending the Mandate’s upcoming working conference at World Water Week in Stockholm in August. These comments will help inform the discussion among endorsing companies and stakeholders regarding the guide and related work. Based on these comments and the outcomes of the Stockholm event, the Mandate Secretariat will begin drafting the body of the Guide, referencing the compiled comments as appropriate. A first full draft of the Guide will be circulated for public comment by the end of 2009. A final version of the Guide incorporating comments received on the prior iteration is scheduled for release by June 2010.

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

The guide ultimately aims to provide principles, concepts, practical steps, and case examples that can facilitate companies’ responsible engagement with water policy in a manner that reduces business risks while advancing policy goals and positively impacting nearby communities and ecosystems.

The public, stakeholders, and other interested parties are invited to provide input at this initial stage in the guide’s development. Comment should be submitted to PolicyEngagementGuide@pacinst.org by September 4, 2009. Comments received before August 14th will be compiled and presented anonymously
to stakeholders and endorsing companies attending the Mandate’s upcoming working conference at World Water Week in Stockholm. These comments will help inform the discussion among endorsing companies and stakeholders regarding the guide and related work.

This guide is a project of The CEO Water Mandate – an initiative established in 2007 under the auspices of the UN Global Compact to advance water stewardship in the private sector.

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact

powerg@un.org

The conference – which took place amid World Water Week in Stockholm – included a series of sessions including a general public-information briefing on the CEO Water Mandate, followed by two multi-stakeholder working sessions focusing on three themes: responsible corporate engagement in public policy; water and human rights; and water disclosure.

“This conference focused on several complex and challenging issues, including public policy engagement and human rights in the context of water stewardship”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact. “The event was extremely notable in the active and constructive dialogue that took place between business and civil society on issues of some sensitivity”.

Mr. Power said that the discussions will help inform the development of a guide to responsible corporate engagement in public policy, which the CEO Water Mandate is undertaking in partnership with the Pacific Institute. In addition, the CEO Water Mandate has formed a working group of water and human rights to explore the various dimensions of a rights-based approach to water-resource management.

A report of the working conference will be published in the coming weeks.

• Agenda of the working conference [pdf]

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

The conference featured a general public-information briefing of the CEO Water Mandate, followed by two multi-stakeholder working sessions focusing on three themes: responsible corporate engagement in public policy; water and human rights; and water disclosure. The conference also included an endorsers meeting to discuss current workstreams and administrative and financial issues relating to the initiative, in addition to a briefing on a joint UNEP-Mandate water accounting project.

"This conference featured extremely active discussions between business, civil society and other stakeholders on a number of crucial water-related issues", said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact. "The issues addressed — including public policy and human rights — are highly complex and also quite sensitive. The Mandate will continue its tradition of involving the widest possible array of stakeholders as it seeks to make positive business and societal contributions in these areas".

In addition to establishing a working group focused on a rights-based approach to water stewardship, the Mandate is in the process of developing a "Guide on Business Engagement with Water Policy and Management".

Download Meeting Summary

Review Content from Fourth Working Conference of the CEO Water Mandate

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

Background

The United Nations Environment Programme’s Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics has commissioned a report from the Pacific Institute in its capacity as part of the CEO Water Mandate Secretariat. This stocktaking exercise, entitled “Corporate Water Accounting: An Analysis of Methods and Tools for Measuring Water Use and Its Impact”, is meant to map the state-of-play with regard to the methodologies and tools available for corporate water accounting. It is part of the broader UNEP Water Footprint, Neutrality, and Efficiency Umbrella Project.

Objectives

This report aims to fulfill the need to clarify commonalities and differences among existing and emerging water accounting methodologies and tools being used in the private sector. Specifically, this report will:

• Elucidate commonalities and differences among emerging methods and practice,
• Identify gaps and challenges, and
• Suggest where accounting methods might benefit from harmonization and increased field testing.

It looks most closely at perhaps the two most significant water accounting methodologies: 1) water footprinting (as managed by the Water Footprint Network) and 2) emerging water-related practice in the field of Life Cycle Assessment. However, this analysis also examines in lesser detail the WBCSD Global Water Tool and GEMI’s water sustainability tools, as well as ecological and carbon footprinting methods as they relate to corporate water accounting.

Workplan

The Pacific Institute is now soliciting public comments on a preliminary draft of
this report and asks that comments be submitted to CorporateWaterAccounting@pacinst.org by 11 December, 2009.

The purpose of this consultation is to help ensure that the analysis provides value to businesses, while addressing the concerns of consumers, investors, and other stakeholders from civil society, academia, intergovernmental organizations, and communities impacted by corporate water practices. The Pacific Institute will make final edits to the report based on comments received, as well as feedback heard at an upcoming UNEP workshop in Paris in late-November. The final version of the report is slated for release in March 2010.

• Public Draft – Corporate Water Accounting: An Analysis of Methods and Tools for Measuring Water Use and Its Impacts.

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

In 2007, the UN Secretary-General, in partnership with international business leaders and under the auspices of the UN Global Compact, launched the CEO Water Mandate – an initiative established to better understand and advance water stewardship in the private sector. At the Mandate’s 3rd Working Conference, held in Istanbul in March 2009 at the Fifth World Water Forum, Mandate endorsers and key stakeholders held a facilitated dialogue to better understanding the Mandate’s “Public Policy” element. At this meeting, in recognition of widespread confusion by companies and stakeholder concern on this topic, the Mandate decided to develop a best practice guidance on business engagement with water policy. This Guide has now been in development since October 2009 in collaboration with WWF – International and the Mandate’s Policy Engagement Working Group.

Objectives

This Guide ultimately aims to provide principles, concepts, practical steps, and case examples that can facilitate companies’ responsible engagement with water policy in a manner that reduces business risks while advancing established policy goals and positively impacting nearby communities and ecosystems. In doing this, the Guide will:

1. Define and explore components of public water policy and the ways businesses interface with them;
2. Discuss the types of water-related business risks and the way they can be mitigated through policy engagement;
3. Elucidate the various spheres of engagement, operational dimensions, and entry points for engagement at various scales of water policy; and
4. Identify principles and good practices/approaches;
5. Highlight potential pitfalls to avoid.

Workplan

As part of the CEO Water Mandate Secretariat and as the lead entity developing the Guide, the Pacific Institute is now soliciting comments from all interested stakeholders on the first full draft of the Guide. The purpose of this public comment period is to better incorporate the array of perspectives and needs into the Guide, as well as to maximize its ability to help advance sustainable water management, and in so doing reduce water-related business risks. We invite interested parties to provide input at this stage in the Guide’s development, and ask that comments be submitted by 7 May 2010 at the latest to: PolicyEngagementGuide@pacinst.org. We ask those providing comment to indicate which stakeholder categorization (below) best describes your organization’s (or individual) perspective:

• Government
• Industry
• Civil society/NGO
• Labor
• Academia
• Consultancy
• Personal view / No affiliation

Please also identify the organizational (or individual) geographic perspective, using one of the following categories:

• “Developing” country / Emerging economy / Global South
• Industrialized country
• Global
• Not applicable

During this month-long public comment period, this draft of the Guide will also be discussed at the Mandate’s 5th Working Conference in New York by Mandate endorsers and key stakeholders. The Mandate Secretariat will use these comments to inform the final version of the Guide, which will be released in June 2010.

• Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy

Contacts

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Taking place at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, the conference featured a number of multi-stakeholder panels and discussions on topics including:

1. Water and Public Policy
2. Water and Human Rights
3. Water and Disclosure

A special focus of the event was the CEO Water Mandate’s draft Guide to Responsible Business Engagement on Water Policy. Developed in partnership with the Pacific Institute and WWF — and funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and GTZ — the draft Guide seeks to elucidate the contours of water policy, while establishing principles and modalities for responsible corporate engagement.

The draft Guide has been issued for public consultation (click here). Stakeholders are encouraged to provide inputs and feedback by 7 May 2010.

“This conference marked yet another milestone in the growth and development of the CEO Water Mandate”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact. “This multi-stakeholder event brought together the world’s leading experts and practitioners on the topic of water stewardship, particularly as it pertains to public policy issues. And related, we encourage stakeholders around the world to provide their comments on the draft Guide”.

Launched by the UN Secretary-General in July 2007, the CEO Water Mandate has been endorsed by approximately 75 companies from a range of industries and sectors.

A report of the conference will be issued in the coming weeks.

• Meeting Agenda
• Participant List
• More information on the CEO Water Mandate.

Contact

Gavin Power
Deputy Director
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Program Director
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

The Framework, prepared by the Pacific Institute in collaboration with WWF International, provides a way for companies to address risk and capture opportunities from external conditions that cannot be achieved through internal strategies alone. The bottom line is the need for policy that integrates environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially equitable water management approaches.

The Framework will be shared with business leaders and others attending the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit on 24-25 June in New York City where the focus will be on “Building a New Era of Sustainability”. (The Framework can be downloaded here)

“In the context of this Framework, sustainable water management addresses social equity, economics, and environmental issues in order to maintain the supply and quality of water for a variety of needs over the long term,” said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact and head of the CEO Water Mandate. “In many parts of the world, sustainable water management efforts could benefit from corporate engagement – provided that this involvement is grounded in the concepts of equity and accountability, which must include stakeholder participation.”

“We have an innovative model for companies to think about managing their business risk by engaging water policy and driving toward sustainable water management,” said Jason Morrison, Director of the Pacific Institute’s Globalization Program and technical director of the CEO Water Mandate. “Ultimately, solving water problems requires not only better public policy and stronger institutions, but also inclusive and meaningful stakeholder involvement in decision making.”

The Framework for Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy broadens the understanding of corporate engagement as not just policy advocacy and lobbying, but also consideration of initiatives that involve interaction with government entities, local communities, and/or civil society organizations with two objectives: 1) the responsible internal company management of water resources within direct operations and supply chains, and 2) the sustainable and equitable management of the river basins in which companies and their suppliers operate.

The Framework itself will be supported with an extensive Guide coming out at the end of the year which will provide detailed insights, strategies, and tactics for responsible engagement.

“Many companies, large and small, can benefit from practical guidance on possible entry points for engagement, how to set clear boundaries, and how to avoid pitfalls,” said Stuart Orr, Freshwater Manager of WWF International. “This Framework can facilitate companies’ responsible and transparent engagement with water policy in a way that reduces business risks while advancing policy goals and positively impacting nearby communities and ecosystems.”

The primary principles laid out in the Framework for Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy include advancing water management that is sustainable, respects public and private roles, and is inclusive, accountable, and transparent.

The Framework details how companies engaging with governments and other stakeholders to advance sustainable water policies and management can take a variety of approaches:

• Encouraging efficient water use across a catchment
• Contributing to the development of effective and equitable policy and regulations
• Supporting research, advocacy, and monitoring
• Aiding environmentally and socially responsible infrastructure development
• Sharing or gathering data related to water resources
• Establishing or engaging in participatory platforms and other democratic processes for water governance decision making or oversight
• Advancing public awareness of water resource issues
• Working with communities to remedy or prevent water resource problems
• Assisting with rehabilitation finance in failure of local water supply systems

“This Framework works to facilitate equitable processes through which all affected parties can come together and contribute to mitigating shared water risks,” said the Pacific Institute’s Morrison. “It can be a powerful tool for combating this century’s emerging water issues.”

The Framework for Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy is a product of the CEO Water Mandate, drafted by the Pacific Institute in its capacity as the “operational arm” of the Mandate Secretariat in consort with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, and with the support of Pegasys Strategy and Development Ltd, Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd., and Water Witness International. Download the Framework.

Contact

Jason Morrison
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org
Office: 510.251.1600 x107 
Mobile: 415.342.8276

Gavin Power
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org
Office: 212.963.4681
Mobile: 917.679.8144

The event – co-convened by the CEO Water Mandate and the Pacific Institute, which serves as the operational and technical arm of the initiative – was the latest in an on-going series of public-information sessions designed to keep stakeholders and the general public informed with respect to key developments related to the initiative.

“Given the rising importance of water issues on the global agenda, as well as the increasing profile of the CEO Water Mandate, we feel it is important to keep stakeholders and the general public regularly informed on key developments”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact and Head of the CEO Water Mandate.

At the opening of the special event, Mr. Power was joined by Mr. Jason Morrison, Program Director of the Pacific Institute, and Mr. Stuart Orr, Freshwater Manager of WWF-International, a project partner on the CEO Water Mandate’s public policy work program.

The event featured two panels, one composed of corporate endorsers of the CEO Water Mandate, and the second featuring non-business stakeholders. The corporate representatives included Ms Lisa Manley of The Coca-Cola Company; Mr. Henrik Lampa of Hennes & Mauritz; and Mr. John Temple of Unilever. The stakeholder panel included Ms. Brooke Barton of Ceres; Mr. Guido Sonnemann of UNEP; and Mr. Matthew Wenban-Smith of the Alliance for Water Stewardship.

Among the updates shared:

• The CEO Water Mandate has grown into an initiative of 70 corporate endorsers representing a range of diverse sectors and geographies. Numerous civil society organizations, public authorities, and other stakeholders are also actively engaged.
• The Transparency Policy, requiring that endorsers report annually on their implementation efforts, has been fully implemented with companies developing and posting “Communications on Progress-Water”, and those that are delinquent being marked as “non-communicating” (and at risk of being delisted) on the public database.
• The CEO Water Mandate is actively advancing its three workstreams, which include best practices related to water disclosure; corporate approaches in relation to water & human rights; and water & public policy.
• The CEO Water Mandate will hold its sixth working conference in Cape Town, South Africa, on 15-17 November, during which the final Guide to Responsible Corporate Engagement in Water Public Policy will be released.
• In partnership with United Nations Environment Programme, the CEO Water Mandate will continue to develop its project in the area of corporate water accounting.

“The CEO Water Mandate is pursuing an extremely active program of workstreams and special initiatives, all designed to advance corporate water stewardship”, said Mr. Power. “The global crisis in water and sanitation demands action from all actors if we are to realize healthy and sustainable societies and achieve the Millennium Development Goals”.

Contact

Gavin Power
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org
Office: 212.963.4681
Mobile: 917.679.8144

Jason Morrison
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org
Office: 510.251.1600 x107
Mobile: 415.342.8276

The two companies are:

• Banesto S.A. (Spain)
• Grupo Via Delphi (Mexico)

The CEO Water Mandate requires endorsers to develop an annual Communication on Progress-Water, describing their implementation of the CEO Water Mandate’s six core elements. Details on the Communication on Progress-Water are contained in the CEO Water Mandate’s Transparency Policy.

Contact

Gavin Power
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

The conference drew more than 100 experts and practitioners from business, civil society, Government, the UN, and other interests and was notable with respect to its focus on water challenges in the context of South Africa and the region.

“We thought it very important to take our conference and work to a specific region that is experiencing serious water stress and related issues”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director the UN Global Compact and Head of the CEO Water Mandate. “Water is a decidedly local issue and to truly make progress it is crucial that all stakeholders collaborate and implement solutions at the catchment-watershed level”.

Convened in partnership with the Pacific Institute, which serves as the operational arm of the CEO Water Mandate, the conference featured the global release of the CEO Water Mandate’s Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy. The Guide, developed for the CEO Water Mandate by the Pacific Institute and WWF, is the first-ever comprehensive resource designed to help companies understand how they can engage responsibly in public policy related to water.

The conference focused on three topical issues, aligned to the three declared workstreams of the CEO Water Mandate – i) water and public policy; ii) water disclosure; and iii) water and human rights.

Related to water and human rights, the CEO Water Mandate also issued at the conference a white paper titled, “The Human Right to Water: Emerging Corporate Practice and Stakeholder Expectations”.

A full report of the working conference will be issued in the coming weeks.

• Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy
• The Human Right to Water: Emerging Corporate Practice and Stakeholder Expectations

Contact

Gavin Power

UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org

Jason Morrison
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org

The new guide is being officially released at the sixth working conference of the CEO Water Mandate in Cape Town, South Africa today. It helps redefine the way businesses respond to water challenges, focusing on the shared interests between the public and private sectors.

“The bottom line is that what is good for communities, for public water management, and for the environment is also in the best interest of companies working to ensure their access to water in the long term,” said Gavin Power, deputy director of the UN Global Compact and head of the CEO Water Mandate. “With increased threats to the supply, quality, and reliability of water resources, companies cannot reduce their risk through changes in internal management alone. Future water security requires leadership from governments, and business can play a constructive role in both policy dialogue and implementation.”

Traditionally, corporate water management has focused on improving efficiency or finding cost-saving technologies. But many risks stem from external factors, including policies that govern how water is allocated in the face of limited supplies. These policies also dictate water prices, quality standards and safeguards against pollution, and construction and maintenance of water infrastructure.

“Solving water problems requires not only better public policy and stronger institutions, but also inclusive and meaningful participation in decision-making by all stakeholders, including business,” said Jason Morrison, director of the Pacific Institute’s Globalization Program and coauthor of the guide. “This new publication gives businesses the practical guidance and tools to engage in a principled way on sustainable water policy.”

The guide outlines five principles for responsible business engagement in water policy. The first speaks to intent; responsible engagement should be driven by a genuine interest in efficient, equitable, and ecologically sustainable water management. Second, there should be a clear division of public and private sector roles, with businesses supporting the government’s mandate. Third, responsible engagement promotes inclusiveness and meaningful partnership. Fourth, businesses should recognize the connections between water and other policy arenas, and be mindful of the environmental, social, cultural, and political context. Finally, companies engaged in water policy must be transparent and accountable for their actions.

“Companies are vulnerable to water risk because it’s a public good, and they are just one of many users,” said Stuart Orr, freshwater manager of WWF International. “But this isn’t about companies trying to claim more of a scarce resource. It’s about companies realizing that their future profitability is dependent on the sustainable management of water resources. WWF applauds companies that are seeking responsible ways to use their influence to protect the world’s water resources.”

The Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy details strategic and practical approaches for companies. From encouraging efficient water use across a catchment area to supporting environmentally and socially responsible infrastructure development, business can help mitigate water risk. Within the community, a business can advance public awareness of water issues, help remedy or prevent water resource problems, or fund repairs or upgrades to local water supply systems. Companies can also support research and monitoring, and contribute to the development of effective policy by sharing data. Engaging in participatory platforms or other transparent and democratic processes for water governance underpins each effort.

The Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy is a product of the CEO Water Mandate, drafted by the Pacific Institute in its capacity as the “operational arm” of the Mandate Secretariat in consort with WWF International, and with the support of Pegasys Strategy and Development Ltd and Water Witness International.

• The Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy (pdf)

Contact

Gavin Power
UN Global Compact
powerg@un.org
(o) 212.963.4681
(m) 917.679.8144

Jason Morrison
Pacific Institute
jmorrison@pacinst.org
(m) 415.342.8276

The four companies are:

• Athens Water and Sewerage Company (Greece)
• Hong Kong Beijing Air Catering (China)
• Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (Egypt)
• Unified Technologies Group (USA)

The CEO Water Mandate requires endorsers to develop an annual Communication on Progress-Water, describing their implementation of the CEO Water Mandate’s six core elements. Details on the Communications on Progress-Water are contained in the CEO Water Mandate’s Transparency Policy.

The conference drew more than 100 experts and practitioners from business, finance, civil society, Government, the UN, and other interests. The first day, co-convened with the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, focused on the topic of corporate water risk and discloure. On 17 May, the multi-stakeholder discussions addressed the Mandate’s two other priority workstreams: public policy in relation to planned on-the-ground collective action projects; and water and human rights. On the afternoon of 17 May, the CEO Water Mandate held a joint session with the UN Global Compact’s Caring for Climate initiative to explore potential synergies between the two platforms and the energy-water nexus.

A full report of the working conference will be issued in the coming weeks.

• Click here to access the agendas.

The conference, which took place in Stockholm as part of 2011 World Water Week, drew approximately 100 leading experts and practitioners from business, finance, civil society, government, the UN, and other interests.

The CEO Water Mandate – an initiative launched and endorsed by the UN Secretary-General – holds two multi-stakeholder conferences per year to advance the initiative’s three priority workstreams (water disclosure; public policy; and human rights) as well as other projects. The Mandate recently launched pilot collective action projects in river basins in Viet Nam and Cambodia focusing on water stewardship practices in the apparel industry and related supply chains. The Mandate is also scoping a collective action project in South Africa.

The first session of the Stockholm conference, held in collaboration with the Alliance for Water Stewardship, focused on “Measuring and Disclosing Water Stewardship Practice” and featured a number of multi-stakeholder panels and discussions. The Mandate is currently developing a set of Global Water Disclosure Guidelines in partnership with several stakeholder groups.

The second session, held with the Institute for Human Rights and Business, focused on “Business and the Human Right to Water and Sanitation”. The session featured multi-stakeholder panels and discussions addressing how companies can ensure that their operations are in accordance with the human right to water and sanitation. The CEO Water Mandate is believed to be the only business-oriented water initiative that has explicitly incorporated the 2010 UN Resolutions on the human right to water and sanitation. The Mandate began to focus on the topic of the human right to water in early 2009. Since then the Mandate has produced two white papers on the topic, and is currently developing Operational Guidance for companies, in partnership with Oxfam.

“The CEO Water Mandate continues to actively evolve its workstreams and projects”, said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact, and Head of the CEO Water Mandate. “It is critical that the international community begins to fully address the escalating water crisis, which is not just an environmental issue but a development, economic, and human rights issue. Severe water stress in many parts of the word, combined with worsening water quality and poor sanitation, must be seen as top policy concerns, and should also be connected to other key sustainability issues such as energy and food security. The Rio Earth Summit in 2012 will provide an important forum to advance these concepts and hopefully scale up solutions”.

A full report of the working conference will be issued in the coming weeks. The conference was sponsored by Tata Steel, Nike, and ABInBev.