UN Global Compact | Pacific Institute
CEO Water MandateCEO Water Mandate
  • About
    • Mission & Governance
    • The Six Commitment Areas
    • Endorsing Companies
    • Strategic Partners
    • Focus Areas & Working Groups
    • FAQs
    • Endorser Testimonials
  • Academy
    • Water Stewardship in 60 Seconds (2018)
    • Water Stewardship Glossary
    • Water Stewardship Journey
    • The World’s Water Challenges (2017)
    • The Business Case for Water Stewardship (2018)
    • How Water Challenges Can Affect Your Business
    • Water Stewardship At Your Own Facilities
    • Fostering Dialogue, Trust & Accountability With Key Stakeholders
    • Assessing Risk: Understanding Your Unique Water Stewardship Challenges
  • Toolbox
    • Most Recent
    • CEO Water Mandate Resources
    • Portals
      • Water Action Hub
      • Business Alliance for Water & Climate
      • WASH4Work
      • Water Risk & Action Framework
  • News & Blog
    • Water Stewardship Leaders Blog
    • Mandate Events & Publications
    • CEO Water Mandate News
    • Stewardship Community Updates
    • Endorser Progress Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Newsletter
    • Action Platform
    • Events
    • Water Action Hub
  • Endorse
  • About
    • Mission & Governance
    • The Six Commitment Areas
    • Endorsing Companies
    • Strategic Partners
    • Focus Areas & Working Groups
    • FAQs
    • Endorser Testimonials
  • Academy
    • Water Stewardship in 60 Seconds (2018)
    • Water Stewardship Glossary
    • Water Stewardship Journey
    • The World’s Water Challenges (2017)
    • The Business Case for Water Stewardship (2018)
    • How Water Challenges Can Affect Your Business
    • Water Stewardship At Your Own Facilities
    • Fostering Dialogue, Trust & Accountability With Key Stakeholders
    • Assessing Risk: Understanding Your Unique Water Stewardship Challenges
  • Toolbox
    • Most Recent
    • CEO Water Mandate Resources
    • Portals
      • Water Action Hub
      • Business Alliance for Water & Climate
      • WASH4Work
      • Water Risk & Action Framework
  • News & Blog
    • Water Stewardship Leaders Blog
    • Mandate Events & Publications
    • CEO Water Mandate News
    • Stewardship Community Updates
    • Endorser Progress Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Newsletter
    • Action Platform
    • Events
    • Water Action Hub
  • Endorse

Strategy

  • Home
  • The Water Stewardship Journey
  • Strategy

Comms

Operations

Context

Strategy

Engage

SDGs & Human Rights
Sector-Specific

Strategy

Incorporate water considerations into core business strategies and functions

Jump to STRATEGY resources

Integrate water management into business strategy

Core Steps

  • Incorporate water into business’ risk assessment processes
  • Develop comprehensive water policy and strategy
  • Set targets for water-related KPIs

Business Benefits

  • Respond to water risks proactively and systematically
  • Raise water awareness within company

Why?

Like most corporate sustainability practices, water stewardship is most effective and most valuable when it is systematically integrated into your business strategy, rather than tacked on as a CSR or philanthropy function outside of the business’ core activities. For many businesses, water is such an important input into its operations and those of its suppliers, that a strategy to ensure sufficient and consistent supplies of it is not only helpful, but arguably required for long-term business viability. Having a strategy and policy in places help ensure you have the water and license to operate needed over the long-term.

What? How?

In practice, integrating water management into business strategy means many things, including (but not limited to):

  • Setting water-related performance targets
  • Creating accountability measures and incentives for water-related goals among upper management
  • Establishing a water task force among upper management to track and address water issues over time and bring them to the board as needed
  • Developing water assessment and action policies that are applied across a company’s facilities and operations

A company’s water strategy and policy will certainly differ from company to company. Ultimately, the most effective strategies enable you to understand how your company relates to water; to track changes and trends over time; and to respond in an effective, timely, and coherent manner. The most effective strategies grow from a dynamic understanding of your specific water risks and impacts and are tailored to identify these issues and prioritize them over other water issues that are of lesser importance to your business and stakeholders.

The Ceres Aqua Gauge offers a helpful framework for developing a water strategy, among other things.

Jump to STRATEGY resources
  • Online Brine Platform
    Online Brine Platform (2019)

    The Online Brine Platform is an active web service that aims to promote the flow of secondary raw materials by linking brine owners with mineral/water users and technology providers.

    Read more
  • Natural Capital Protocol
    Natural Capital Protocol (2019)

    The Protocol offers a standardized framework for the identification, measurement, and valuation of impacts and dependencies on natural capital in order to inform organizational decisions.

    Read more
  • Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Water – Addressing the Global Crisis
    Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Water – Addressing the Global Crisis (2018)

    This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) gives an introduction to many different aspects of water, including finance, diplomacy, and water services.

    Read more
  • Developing a Global Compendium on Water Quality Guidelines
    Developing a Global Compendium on Water Quality Guidelines (2018)

    This report lays the groundwork for an online compendium to improve access to examples of water quality guidelines and facilitate a better understanding of how water quality demand and…

    Read more
  • Water Infrastructure For Climate Adaptation
    Water Infrastructure For Climate Adaptation – The Opportunity To Scale Up Funding And Financing (2018)

    This report calls for an integrated approach that brings together governments, water users, and the society at large including the private sector, NGOs, and academia to design smart, adaptable…

    Read more
  • Onsite Non-Potable Water Reuse Practice Guide
    Onsite Non-Potable Water Reuse Practice Guide (2018)

    The Non-Potable Water Reuse Practice Guide is written with practicing architects and other building design professionals in mind and provides explanations of why you may want to consider non-potable…

    Read more
  • Cities Alive: Water for People
    Cities Alive: Water for People (2018)

    The report explores pioneering water approaches in cities around the world.

    Read more
  • Water Stewardship Revisited
    Water Stewardship Revisited (2018)

    This updated briefing outlines the evolution of water stewardship as we look to the future.

    Read more

Follow

Follow @H2O_stewards

Search

UN Global Compact


QUICKLINKS

  • The Ten Principles
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • Our Participants
  • All Our Work
  • What You Can Do
  • Careers & Opportunities
  • Submit Your COP

About the Mandate

  • Mission & Governance
  • Endorsing Companies
  • Strategic Partners
  • Focus Areas & Working Groups
  • FAQs
  • News
Tweets by H2O_stewards

United Nations | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Copyright