In the face of profound global water challenges, five global multi-stakeholder partnerships representing business, governments, intergovernmental organizations, academia, and civil society organizations announce a new collaboration effort designed to accelerate progress toward ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation around the world.
This year, the Global Compact Brazil Network and the CEO Water Mandate organized an event to bring together the Brazilian private sector, government, NGOs, and other organizations seeking to address water risks in Brazil to discuss water security challenges and solutions.
Hotel companies can play a vital role in reaching Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. WaterAid and the International Tourism Partnership team up to explain how.
General Mills has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to address water challenges in the Ganges River Basin, as part of the company’s ambition to “champion the development of water stewardship plans in our most material and at-risk watersheds by 2025.”
The SDGs do not create more work or obligations for companies in their water-related efforts. If anything, they can help businesses and many others be more impactful with their ongoing water sustainability efforts.
WRI and MIT have developed a proven method to crowdsource local data through businesses to develop a unique water management geodatabase, which is now being scaled. Pinpointing areas with strong or weak water management will allow governments, utilities, businesses and investors to more precisely channel resources to places with the most need.
First convened in November 2017, the Task Force has seen some of its earliest benefit in linking together business representatives and government officials based on an urgent need and a common vision. It is this deepening relationship that will get the Western Cape through the worst drought in at least 300 years.
In 2014, the Mandate helped found the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC) – unfortunately but affectionately termed “the quack.”
I have found that businesses tend to focus water stewardship efforts within their owned-and-operated facilities, because this is where they have the most influence and ability to affect changes in practice. However, the greatest water risks – and the greatest opportunities for improved management – often lie in companies’ supply chains.
The Action Platform officially launches today! Over the next three years, the Platform will advance the Mandate’s pioneering work on water stewardship. It will work with companies, UN entities, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to foster collective action, test water stewardship best practices, and mobilize business action.