Water
Water is essential to all life. A clean, safe accessible supply of water is considered a basic human right. Unfortunately, as with many human rights, not everyone benefits equally. How much water your business uses, how you dispose of used water and any pollutants it contains as a result of your activities will impact other people’s ability to access and enjoy clean water.
The Basics
Where To Start?
Case Study
With climate change, some parts of the world which already experience droughts will face more extreme ones, and areas prone to flooding may have to learn to manage what were “once in a lifetime” floods more regularly than in the past. As a sustainable business, you can choose to reconsider how much water your business uses and adapt clever ways of reducing your usage. You can also assess the indirect ways in which you consume water to run your business, through the products you use that require water during manufacturing.
One way to evaluate your business’s water usage is similar to the carbon footprint concept. Start with what your business’s water footprint is today and research the ways in which you can make changes to reduce it.
This page is a good place to get the latest information on sustainable business practices and water.
Resources Library
How Can Investors Use Water Metrics to Enhance Investment Returns?
Climate Action looks at the use of water metrics to understand how investors and businesses can measure water risk. The EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) is explained and what it means for business. Water use varies hugely by industry but so does...
The Water Footprint of Seven Common Products
Friends of the Earth's Mind your Step Report assesses the water and land footprint of seven common products, from a T-shirt to a mobile phone. Through a detailed analysis of supply chains and production methods they calculate the scale of water use in industrial...
Water: a Human and Business Priority
McKinsey Sustainability assesses the current state of water use, the water crisis, and the growing business risk, especially if we carry on with business as usual. Businesses and their supply chains have an opportunity here too. McKinsey gives clear examples of...
The Business Opportunity in Water Conservation
McKinsey Sustainability sets out the commercial case for water conservation. The growing liability of both water shortage and flooding cannot be underestimated in calculating business risk. Many businesses rely on large amounts of water for production or services, and...
Water Footprint Calculator
The Water Footprint Network is a great place to learn about your water use, how you can measure it and manage it. The free business water assessment tool allows you to assess, understand and account for your business's baseline water usage. Once you understand how and...
Irish Water – Conservation for Business
Irish Water's Water Conservation for Business hub has all the information you need to get started as a sustainable business user of water. The Water Stewardship course is available to Irish Water business customers who want to learn about water conservation and...
Alliance for Water Stewardship
The Alliance for Water Stewardship is a global collaboration between businesses, NGOs and the public sector. They promote the adoption of a framework of sustainable use and management of water resources for all. Stewardship means taking care of something we do not own...
Water case study: Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre
Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre in County Dublin, Ireland, is a mid-sized outlet with 40 retail units. Water leak management The management in the shopping centre first began to investigate increasing water bills in 2009. Initially looking at the public toilets, they...
Water: where to start?
Start small, think big Water is the elixir of life and we need to remember that it is a precious resource. There are many ways you can save water in all the different activities in your workplace. It’s not just the water used in your bathroom or kitchen areas but also...
Water: the Basics
Water is our most vital resource, it sustains all life and so all businesses on earth. The Earth’s water exists in a closed loop system called the water cycle. So what are the sustainability concerns regarding water if it's not going anywhere? The first thing we need...