The CEO Water Mandate has curated a list of membership opportunities available in 2025 for all Endorsers. These opportunities provide a platform for Endorsers to engage with peers and partners in advancing water stewardship. If you haven’t shared your feedback yet, we encourage you to complete this brief survey.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your CEO Water Mandate representative or contact ceowatermandate@unglobalcompact.org
To-Do List for Members in 2025
We encourage all members to read through this to-do list and support the delivery of CEO Water Mandate strategy.
OUR INITIATIVES
Companies that join the CEO Water Mandate commit to action on six commitment areas and to annual reporting requirements. Within the CEO Water Mandate, two initiatives allow companies to engage more deeply with specific elements of water stewardship and resilience. Endorsers of the CEO Water Mandate can join these groups to further accelerate their water action. Click here for Information on the CEO Water Mandate.
The Water Resilience Coalition (WRC) is the leadership initiative of the CEO Water Mandate and is a CEO-led collective action and leadership group elevating action on mounting water stress to the top of the global corporate agenda. WRC companies commit to achieving Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) by 2050.
WASH4Work is a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2016 to mobilize business action on water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in workplace operations, in communities where companies operate, and across supply chains.
Forward Faster is a campaign of the United Nations Global Compact identifying 5 areas of action (including water) selected to accelerate progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and are where the private sector can collectively make the biggest, fastest impact by 2030. To be validated as participants in the UN Global Compact’s Forward Faster – Water Resilience initiative, companies must join the CEO Water Mandate.
Water Resilience Coalition Leadership Committee (LC) – The Leadership Committee guides the direction of the CEO Water Mandate. CEOs and C-Suite members meet twice per year to review progress and map plans and priorities. To join the WRC LC, members must first join the WRC.
Business Leaders Open Call to Accelerate Action on Water – Launched at the 2023 Water Conference. The Open Call unites companies within your supply chain (including non-UNGC member companies) to drive water resilience in the 100 Priority Basins. Click here to Sign the Open Call.
Click here for a complete Water Action Hub Guide
- Create a Water Action Hub Profile: Visit the Water Action Hub and create an account for your company. The Hub connects water actors to a variety of online resources and allows users to discover possible collaboration opportunities in their area. The Hub is home to a variety of users from around the world from all industry sectors seeking to water security. Creating an account is free of charge.
- Add Basins of interest in the 100 Basins App: Go to the 100 Basins App to enter projects and basins of interest. With the launch of the 100 Priority Basins, Mandate Endorsers must have a Water Action Hub profile. Through the Hub, you’ll be able to access basin diagnostic information, collective action projects, and investment opportunities, and will be notified of basin-level projects in your identified basins of interest. Should you have questions contact Todd Player at tplayer@pacinst.org
The launch of the 100 Priority Basins has begun the process of implementing basin-level Collective Action projects and tracking Impact. The approach includes:
- Establishing the basin’s main issues and mapping key stakeholders
- Setting contextual goals
- Building a roadmap of solutions
- Implementing these solutions
- Measuring progress
If you are interested in joining a collective action, please reach out to your CEO Water Mandate representative or contact ceowatermandate@unglobalcompact.org
In accordance with the UN Global Compact, the 2023 Communication on Progress (CoP) for the Mandate is optional, but we highly encourage your company to review the 2024 Questionnaire in preparation for the 2024 reporting cycle. In 2024, the UNGC is moving toward a more data-driven and less narrative type of CoP and the CEO Water Mandate will make a similar transition in 2025. The reporting requirements for Forward Faster align with the future vision of reporting requirements for the Mandate.
The enhanced CoP enables participating companies of the UN Global Compact to:
- Measure and demonstrate progress to stakeholders and the public on the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals in a consistent and harmonized way.
- Build credibility and brand value by showing their commitment to the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Receive insight, learn, and continuously improve performance by identifying gaps, accessing guidance, and setting sustainability goals.
- Compare performance against peers with access to one of the largest sources of free, public, and comparable corporate sustainability data.
You can use the spreadsheet here to support your data collection process with relevant team members and the CoP Data Compilation Checklist here. Use the CoP Guidebook here to get information on how to answer the questions, find calculations, and explore a glossary of key terms to help you complete the CoP questionnaire.
The WASH Self-Assessment Tool is a facility-level Excel-based tool that helps companies assess the level of WASH facilities, help identify gaps in comparison to leading international practices as well as evaluate the implementation every year. It helps companies to measure, set targets, and monitor progress based on the compliance score calculated by the tool for each criterion and thus supports decision-making regarding investment and priority action.
For more information, you can review the WASH Pledge: Guiding Principles. This publication includes a set of guiding principles that will support companies in their efforts to implement WASH at the workplace – an essential first step for businesses supporting global objectives related to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
The CEO Water Mandate Steering Committee is beginning its 2025-2026 term. With each new term we welcome companies to join or renew participation. Seats are held by organizations with a regular designated delegate attending quarterly meetings. To express your interest in joining the Steering Committee, please submit responses in this survey
Seeking Participants
The CEO Water Mandate offers ways to maximize your visibility by sponsoring our international events. Find out more about our tiered opportunities tailored to your organization by contacting Raquel Ortuno at rortuno@pacinst.org
The Biodiversity Benefit Accounting Framework aims to provide businesses with standardized guidance on incorporating biodiversity considerations into their water management strategies. It helps water stewardship practitioners estimate or quantify the terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity benefits associated with water-related projects. This is an opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction, content development, and piloting of the framework.
- This initiative is seeking 3-4 corporate partners or sponsors.
To be considered reach out to us through Gregg Brill (GBrill@pacinst.org)
The WASH4Work initiative, hosted by the CEO Water Mandate brings together corporate water stewardship leaders – who have signed the WASH Pledge or made similar commitments to action on water sanitation and hygiene access – together with global WASH experts and implementing partners. WASH Collective Action projects offer companies the opportunity to join together to scale up the impact on WASH in key geographies.
Current WASH Collective Action Projects include:
- India – Women + Water Collaborative (WaterAid implementing partner)
- Indonesia – (UNICEF implementing partner)
- Bangladesh – (Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor implementing partner)
- Nigeria – (WaterAid implementing partner)
To be considered contact Cheryl Hicks at cheryl-hicks@pacinst.org.
The Mandate is always looking for speakers at conferences & major events, at peer-learning sessions, and at recruitment meetings. To view upcoming events that the Mandate will be present at, please visit Events & Webinars.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your CEO Water Mandate representative or contact ceowatermandate@unglobalcompact.org
Basin Champions are WRC corporate members that accelerate momentum toward water resilience in one of the WRC Priority Basins. Champions commit resources and influence to support the establishment of a Basin Collaborative, igniting coordinated corporate and public sector investments to scale strategic collective actions for positive water impact across the basin. The Basin Champion is represented by a C-Suite member of the company who will act as an ambassador for the role and Collaborative.
If you’re interested in taking part in this opportunity or would like to learn more, please reach out to André Villaça Ramalho at AVRamalho@pacinst.org and Katherine Isaf at kisaf@pacinst.org.
The investment strategy and pathway seek to enable companies to collectively invest in innovative investment mechanisms, that support water resilience commitments and scale up net positive water impact goals to 2030 – an alternative financing pathway alongside philanthropy. Corporate investments can be catalytic and returnable capital, that attracts increased public and private investments from across the capital markets.
- In 2024, the WRC Investment Portfolio includes $1.7 BN in investment opportunities, in Funds that will advance water resilience
- 3 Key Investment Themes: WASH Access, Water Resilience Infrastructure, Nature-Based Solutions
Call to Action:
- Corporate engagement in these investment opportunities can unlock significant impact for our water resilience goals, with financial returns.
To learn more contact Cheryl Hicks at cheryl-hicks@pacinst.org.
2025 Launches
The Biodiversity Benefit Accounting Framework aims to provide businesses with standardized guidance on incorporating biodiversity considerations into their water management strategies. It helps water stewardship practitioners estimate or quantify the terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity benefits associated with water-related projects. This is an opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction, content development, and piloting of the framework.
- Biodiversity Benefit Accounting Landscape Assessment: December 2024.
- Biodiversity Benefit Accounting Methodology: August/September 2025 (tentative).
- Explore all Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds
Description coming soon.
Description: Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) began as an idea at the creation of the WRC. Since then guidance has been drafted to outline the requirements to attain NPWI. Numerous WRC companies have piloted the guidance and framework. In the session, you will hear an update on the guidance, reflections directly from piloting companies, a summary of the feedback, and the next steps.
CEO Water Mandate Endorsers Meetings
The CEO Water Mandate seeks to mobilize a critical mass of business leaders to address global water challenges through corporate water stewardship in partnership with the United Nations, governments, civil society, and other stakeholders.
Open to: All Mandate Endorsers + WRC + Forward Faster
Venue: Virtual
Time: 2 Sessions – 7 am PT and 3 pm PT
Venue: Online
Description: The quarterly All CEO Water Mandate Endorsers Meeting is a one-hour session where all endorsing companies convene, and the Mandate team presents relevant updates. It’s an opportunity to actively contribute to the progress of this initiative and engage with fellow endorsers in advancing corporate water stewardship.
Open to: All CEO Water Mandate Endorsers
Venue: In Person in New York City and a separate virtual date (TBD)
Description: The quarterly All CEO Water Mandate Endorsers Meeting is a one-hour session where all endorsing companies convene, and the Mandate team presents relevant updates. It’s an opportunity to actively contribute to the progress of this initiative and engage with fellow endorsers in advancing corporate water stewardship.
Open to: All Mandate Endorsers + WRC + Forward Faster
Venue: Virtual
Time: 2 Sessions – 7 am PT and 3 pm PT
Venue: Online
Description: The quarterly All CEO Water Mandate Endorsers Meeting is a one-hour session where all endorsing companies convene, and the Mandate team presents relevant updates. It’s an opportunity to actively contribute to the progress of this initiative and engage with fellow endorsers in advancing corporate water stewardship.
To view past meetings, please reach out to your CEO Water Mandate representative or contact ceowatermandate@unglobalcompact.org
Water Resilience Coalition Member Meetings
The Water Resilience Coalition (WRC) is a CEO-led collective action and leadership group elevating action on mounting water stress to the top of the global corporate agenda. Members commit to an elevated 2050 ambition.
The Communications and Task Force is open for members of the Water Resilience Coalition and companies with a visibility package part of the CEO Water Mandate. The goal of this group is to help shape our communications and global events strategy. For more information, please contact Raquel Ortuno at rortuno@pacinst.org.
The taskforce will focus on the continual strengthening of NPWI as a North Star guidance and an enterprise-level ambition. It will address five key topics:
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- Learnings from the implementation and continuous evolution of existing materials,
- The practicality of the Internal Tracking Framework,
- Developing guidance for the value chain,
- Reviewing and finalizing the supplementary document on ‘How Net Positive Water Impact relates to the Water Resilience Coalition’
- Maturing the NPWI validation and claims processes and associated train-the-trainer program.
This taskforce will focus on understanding and measuring current and future basin stress, impacts the WRC and basin collaborative bodies are having, and basin monitoring. The focus will be through a data, AI, and digital tools lens and will include topics like baseline basin diagnostics, open-source basin data, specific impact metrics, basin dashboards, and impact tracking. Members will be asked to provide input and guidance on items including a standardized basin diagnostics template, basin data collection (data types, methods), and development of basin dashboards.
The investment strategy and pathway seek to enable companies to collectively invest in innovative investment mechanisms, that support water resilience commitments and scale up net positive water impact goals to 2030 – an alternative financing pathway alongside philanthropy. Corporate investments can be catalytic and returnable capital, that attracts increased public and private investments from across the capital markets.
- In 2024, the WRC Investment Portfolio includes $1.7 BN in investment opportunities, in Funds that will advance water resilience
- 3 Key Investment Themes: WASH Access, Water Resilience Infrastructure, Nature-Based Solutions
Call to Action:
- Corporate engagement in these investment opportunities can unlock significant impact for our water resilience goals, with financial returns.
To learn more contact Cheryl Hicks at cheryl-hicks@pacinst.org.
Open to: WRC Leadership Committee Members
Topic: Collective Action, WRC Investment Portfolio, NPWI
Date: January 25th, March 21st, May 16th, July 11th, October 21st, November 22nd
Venue: Virtual
Time: 2 Sessions – 8 am PT and 3 pm PT
Description: The Leadership Circle members play a vital role in shaping the strategic vision of the coalition and monitoring progress toward the 2030 WRC goals. Members of the working group meet bi-monthly to address shared barriers and opportunities.
To view past meetings, please reach out to your CEO Water Mandate representative or contact ceowatermandate@unglobalcompact.org
WASH4Work All Member Meeting
WASH4Work is a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2016 to mobilize business action on water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in workplace operations, in communities where companies operate, and across supply chains.
Open to: WASH4WORK Members + CEO Water Mandate Members
Date: Bi-annual
Time: 2 Sessions (7 AM PT , 3 PM PT)
Venue: Virtual
Open to: WASH4WORK Members + CEO Water Mandate Members
Date: Bi-annual
Time: 2 Sessions (7 AM PT , 3 PM PT)
Venue: Virtual
To view past meetings, please reach out to your CEO Water Mandate representative or contact ceowatermandate@unglobalcompact.org