2Sustain

Will your company be able to operate successfully in a water-constrained world? Do you know your water footprint?

Those are questions you need to be thinking about because according to the United Nations, by 2030 almost half of the world population will live in areas facing water stress or water scarcity.  Already, less than 1% of the world’s water is easily accessible fresh water, and in the future, this valuable limited resource will be facing even more pressure from:

• the effects of climate change,

• increasing population,

• urbanization,

• per capita demand, and

• pollution.

Want to know more about the business risks and opportunities associates with water scarcity? If so, then check out the new CDP Water Disclosure program, an offshoot of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).  This new program is designed to help raise awareness and provide high quality information about a wide range of water-related issues. Next year, CDP Water Disclosure will send a questionnaire to about 300 of the world’s largest companies in water-intensive sectors. The results of this survey will be summarized in an annual report and will help businesses make informed decisions regarding water use and scarcity.

But, don’t wait until 2010 to start educating yourself about water. CDP Water Disclosure’s first report, “The Case for Water Disclosure,” is available now. It includes a discussion of the rationale for the new program and details findings from data collected in a small pilot project in 2008.

“Much of the impact of climate change will be felt through changing patterns of water availability, with shrinking glaciers and changing patterns of precipitation increasing the likelihood of drought and flood,” says Paul Dickinson, Chief Executive Officer of CDP.  “If climate change is the shark, then water is its teeth and it is an issue on which businesses need far greater levels of awareness and understanding.  CDP Water Disclosure will raise this awareness and drive companies to take action to mitigate risks and seize opportunities.”