As Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab, I'm excited to share the launch of our third annual Ecolab Watermark™ Study, which dives deep into the forces reshaping how we manage and value water. From the surging power demands of artificial intelligence to the escalating impacts of extreme weather, this year's report captures the complexity-and the opportunity-of today's water landscape.
The insights are clear: protecting water resources is essential to protecting communities, operations, and long-term growth. And one message came through louder than ever-water challenges are a shared responsibility, demanding bold action across sectors.
The Imperative of Shared Responsibility
The findings from our latest study are consistent with previous years and show that consumers from every region hold businesses and governments accountable for water conservation. Yet, many still believe that no action is being taken.
Less than half of consumers in the U.S. (45% & 46%) and Europe (46% & 42%) believe governments and businesses are committed to conserving water. Additionally, less than half of consumers in the U.S. (48% & 47%), Europe (45% & 45%), Latin America (48% & 42%) and Asia Pacific (46% & 48%) believe governments and businesses have done enough to-date to conserve water.
Water conservation and management remain large and complex issues, and this underwhelming consumer sentiment underscores the urgent need for enhanced cross-industry collaboration to address water scarcity particularly as demands evolve.
Forming Foundational Partnerships
At Ecolab, we don't just talk about collective action, we've been setting the industry standard for years. In 2020, Ecolab, along with Microsoft, Gap Inc., and others, co-founded the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC). This CEO-led initiative under the UN Global Compact and in partnership with the Pacific Institute now consists of more than 40 members across public and private sectors to address the global water crisis. Together, we work toward the ambition to reduce stress in 100 local basins around the world to support more than 3 billion people with access to water and develop new strategies for water-resilient value chains. This initiative connects corporate resources with partner expertise to address a crisis that has both human and business components.
As the Basin Champion for California within the WRC, we also co-founded the California Water Resilience Initiative (CWRI). Launched in 2023, we work closely with partners across California to address the freshwater supply gap projected in the state by 2040. The initiative aims to propel corporate involvement in addressing the water crisis with support from government and nonprofit stakeholders to form new partnerships and enable innovative solutions. As a result, the target to reduce, reuse and restore 1 million acre-feet per year by 2030 is much more obtainable than ever before.
Both of these initiatives are examples of how industry leaders can not only respond to current consumer sentiments, but pool resources and share expertise across various sectors to tackle large-scale water challenges with measurable impact for all.
The Future of Water is Collaborative
The Ecolab Watermark Study shows there is still a prevailing sense of hope that water concerns can be effectively addressed. More than 60% of consumers in each region believe that water scarcity can be effectively addressed. However, this hope can only be fully realized through more concerted efforts, especially from those of us in the private sector.
Only through bold, cross-sector partnerships can we accelerate coordinated action and build a truly water-resilient future.
