New data from a global survey conducted and commissioned by Ecolab, a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, has revealed high consumer expectations for the role of companies in water access and conservation.
The Water, Sustainability and Climate Change survey consulted thousands of consumers across eight different countries. The survey revealed:
- 74% of consumers believe businesses should make conserving water a high or essential priority;
- Just 25% of consumers believe companies are taking the right amount of action to conserve water; and
- More than 60% of consumers said that they or a family member have had trouble accessing drinking water.
Speaking from the historic U.N. Water Conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Ecolab Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Christophe Beck said, “Consumers are sending a message loudly and clearly—if business leaders aren’t prioritizing water stewardship, they aren’t doing enough. Ecolab’s work this past year to help protect the resources vital to life shows that it’s possible to advance sustainability and business growth goals all at once.”
Each year on March 22, World Water Day elevates water and sanitation issues. The theme for 2023 is “Accelerating Change” and urges continued progress towards U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 6. To mark the occasion, Ecolab highlighted the company’s leadership role across a full year of change and progress.
Highlights from the company’s Year in Water include:
- Ecolab helped our customers conserve more than 215 billion gallons of water in 2022, equivalent to the drinking water needs of more than 730 million people. By 2030, Ecolab aims to help customers conserve 300 billion gallons of water each year, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 1 billion people.
- Ecolab joined DuPont, Gap, Inc., Reckitt, Starbucks and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide nearly $140 million in investments in WaterEquity’s Global Access Fund IV to help improve water access, sanitation and hygiene for up to 5 million people in water-scarce regions.
- Ecolab launched the Ecolab Water for Climate program to help companies respond to the intensifying impacts of the energy crisis, climate change and water scarcity. The program is designed to address these challenges by providing holistic solutions including auditing, consulting, engineering, advanced chemistries and digital technologies that help support reduce, re-use and recycle water strategies across an enterprise.
- Ecolab partnered with Siemens to launch Climate Intelligence powered by ECOLAB3D™, a solution allowing customers to virtually model different scenarios across their water and energy systems to identify opportunities to help conserve water and power while also lowering their greenhouse gas emissions.
- Ecolab unveiled the Ecolab Global Intelligence Center, an international network of remote intelligence facilities specializing in analyzing data from connected chemistries and technologies, including ECOLAB3D-powered solutions such as Water Flow Intelligence, Water Quality Intelligence and OMNI™.
- Ecolab celebrated new Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certifications at Ecolab manufacturing facilities in China, Mexico, Brazil and the United States, bringing Ecolab’s total AWS-certified facility count to eight. These certifications recognize programs that improve the efficiency of operations, reduce wastewater and mitigate water risks to help deliver a more water-resilient future for local communities.
- Ecolab co-chaired the U.N. CEO Water Mandate and offered support as one of seven co-founders of the Water Resilience Coalition to elevate the long-term crisis of global water stress to the top of the corporate agenda.
- Ecolab received public recognition for sustainability, climate and water leadership as part of the Corporate Knights’ 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, the CDP and Dow Jones Sustainability™ Indices, and As You Sow’s net zero assessment, among others.
- Ecolab continued to offer its Smart Water Navigator for free to any business looking to understand the value of water in their operations and take action to achieve corporate water goals.
Accelerating change through the power of water is core to Ecolab’s purpose to improve the health of people, planet and business around the world. The company shares its expertise in smart water use with customers to help them reduce, reuse and recycle water in their operations. In addition to supporting effective water use, Ecolab’s solutions help customers use energy more efficiently, reduce waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to advance a more sustainable future.
To learn more about how Ecolab works with customers to help solve the world’s most complex problems amid a changing landscape, visit www.ecolab.com/expertise-and-innovation/people-planet-business-health.
