Mar 09 – Water Disclosure 2.0 and Review of The CEO Water Mandate

(New York, 11 March 2009) – The UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, in partnership with the Pacific Institute, today announced the global release of Water Disclosure 2.0 , a major study and resource presenting an analysis of current and emerging water reporting practices, while offering guidance to companies on next-generation water disclosure.

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.

Contact

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

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CEO Water Mandate Secretariat
The CEO Water Mandate is a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Global Compact, implemented in partnership with the Pacific Institute. These key partners work together as the CEO Water Mandate Secretariat. The Mandate Secretariat supports the initiative’s mission in many ways, including: 1) developing research, guidance, and tools that advance corporate water stewardship; 2) convening multi-stakeholder events to identify, explore, and solve key water challenges; 3) facilitating meaningful collective action to improve conditions in at-risk river basins.