While carbon emissions management and reporting tend to be the first "big picture" sustainability issues that companies tackle, water is poised to become "the next big thing" in terms of corporate sustainability risk management. As always, we're staying on top of it--culling through the best resources and guides to help our clients effectively tackle the issue.
Because we love to share- and don't want to re-create the wheel- here are three articles that bring home the most important tools, concepts, and frameworks related to corporate water management. Enjoy!
The four pillars of water risk assessment - In this economic climate and as part of our natural lives we are all familiar with undertaking risk assessments in our everyday professional and personal existence; from the most basic travel decisions ensuring punctuality, to the most comprehensive health and safety issues ensuring the safety of our colleagues in the workplace.
How far away is a standardised approach to water reporting? - With corporate awareness of water-related risk growing exponentially, so the demand for a standard means of measuring and reporting water usage increases. Katharine Earley explores current practice in benchmarking usage at a global level, and examines the tools and guidelines available to companies as they unravel the complex web of their water footprint.
Reporting water risks: A step-by-step guide - An increasing number of companies are experiencing detrimental water-related business impacts, including operational or supply chain disruptions and property damage from flooding, to name a few. These impacts can be costly -- in 2011 they cost some companies up to $200 million -- and have caught the attention of investors around the world. To make the reporting process easier, WRI has aligned its Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas with CDP’s water questionnaire.
If you are interested in corporate water management, you'll love our free white paper Every Last Drop: Water and the Sustainable Business. Got another water resource to share? Leave a comment, or talk to us on Twitter (@jenniferwoofter).