Corporations have a critically important role to play in addressing the freshwater crisis. Presently agricultural and industrial water use account for 70 and 22 percent of total water use respectively. Apart from the stresses on water supply generated by industrial water consumption, declining water quality due to agricultural runoff, industrial wastewater, improper disposal of human waste, and many other issues are contributing to acute water crises around the world.
Water issues pose a range of risks to businesses- from higher costs to business disruptions stemming from supply chain interruptions and the potential loss of license to operate. The implementation of comprehensive water stewardship policies helps companies identify and manage water-related business risks and promotes more sustainable management of shared freshwater resources.
Featured ICCR Initiative
ICCR's Statement of Principles and Recommended Practices for Corporate Water Stewardship. ICCR has developed a set of recommended practices for corporations looking to manage water risk both in their internal operations, and throughout their supply chains.
Featured Resources
Extracting the Facts. This joint report by Boston Common Asset Management and the Investor Environmental Health Network reviews the reporting and operational practices of 28 hydraulic fracturing companies with the goal of promoting transparency and improved operating practices.
The Problem with Coal. How mountaintop-removal coal mining impacts waterways.
ICCR's Toward Water Disclosure: Recommended Process Tools Covers initial assessment and mapping, data gathering and analysis, and reporting to the CDP.
CEO Water Mandate Seeks to advance corporate water stewardship in partnership with the UN, civil society organziations, governments and other stakeholders.
Ceres Aqua Gauge An excel-based tool companies and investors can use to evaluate a company’s existing water risk management approach, evaluating 20 core aspects of water risk management on a sliding scale from initial steps to leading practice.
Stakeholder Responsibilities in Managing Access to Water Clarifies the respective roles of communities, governments, and corporations.