By Matt Howard, Vice President of Water Stewardship
In the latest sign that businesses need to be proactive in strategically addressing environmental risks and opportunities — including water — the SEC recently issued a draft rule for public comment that mandates climate disclosures for publicly held companies.
Fittingly, the announcement came the day before World Water Day, as the international community addresses growing problems of water scarcity, flooding, contamination and other water issues that are only exacerbated by climate change. Is the corporate sustainability sector finally widening its view from one solely focused on carbon to a recognition of the importance of water? Let’s hope so.
Water is a more complex topic than carbon because of the diversity and local nature of water issues. That’s why it’s overly simplistic – and potentially ineffective – to frame water stewardship around the concept of “net positive,” according to a new whitepaper from the World Wildlife Fund.
“With carbon, up is bad, down is good, location doesn’t matter and time is a matter of the sooner the better. With water, it often lives in a goldilocks zone where location and timing matter immensely.”
-World Wildlife Fund
The buzz is growing around The Water Council and our water stewardship offerings, particularly our newest program, WAVE, which helps companies improve water stewardship outcomes and become independently verified:
Finally, I’d like to call your attention to a new video below from The Water Council illustrating how we accomplish our mission to solve global water challenges by driving freshwater innovation and advancing water stewardship. Please contact me or visit our website to learn more about how The Water Council can help you on your water stewardship journey.
