2Sustain

“Water is the new carbon.”

I’m hearing that more and more these days, and with World Water Week in Stockholm scheduled for August 16-22, I imagine water is going to be garnering even greater attention over the remainder of this month.

Why the fuss? Because as Ceres and the Pacific Institute concluded in their comprehensive report “Water Scarcity & Climate Change: Growing Risks for Businesses and Investors”:

“It is increasingly clear that the era of cheap and easy access to water is ending, posing a potentially greater threat to businesses than the loss of any other natural resource, including fossil fuel resources. That is because there are various alternatives for oil, but for many industrial processes, and for human survival itself, there is no substitute for water. Company executives and investor have no choice but to boost their scrutiny of water-related risks, especially in regions where water supplies are already under stress.”

In addition, as Will Sarni points out in his post yesterday at Leading Green, water presents several unique challenges.

For example, it’s “borrowed,” not “used.” That means discharge and extraction are equally important, and that corporations are responsible to an assortment of local stakeholder issues. Plus, layered on top of all this is the fundamental issue of water as a shared human right.

For a thorough discussion of how water-related issues impact business, visit the Water Footprint Network , where you can begin calculating both your operational and supply chain water footprints.

And, if you’re curious about just how much water goes into the manufacture of everyday products, check out “Big Gulp”. According to this post at MotherJones.com, production of 1 lb. of beef requires 1,857 gallons of water. A pair of jeans demands 2,866 gallons. And guess how much water is needed to manufacture a midsize car? A whopping  39, 090 gallons.