Valuing Water
March 2011
Special Report
Valuing Water: HoW
Can Businesses Manage tHe CoMing sCarCity?
http://environment.wharton.upenn.edu • http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
sponsors
The Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) and Knowledge@
Wharton have partnered to create this special report on business and the environment. We are most grateful to the Xerox Foundation for supporting collaboration and funding of this edition.
Contents
Valuing Water: How Can Businesses Manage the Coming
Scarcity?
Water is a paradoxical commodity: It seems free and plentiful, yet its supply is under tremendous strain. Use of fresh water has more than doubled over the past 50 years, and many fear that we are coming close to a frightening breaking point, a world where chronic water shortages for farmers, businesses and people is the norm. Some experts even see international conflict emerging over access to dwindling supplies. Recognizing these concerns, companies are undertaking major programs to realign their water use with core business and humanitarian interests. But while objectives like being “water neutral” and using “footprinting” — tracking the use of water throughout the supply chain — are ambitious, what is being done to achieve them? Are these goals realistic, and will they have enough impact? This special report addresses these questions.
In a Water-stressed World, Corporations Conserve
1
Global water requirements will outstrip supply in the years ahead. According to one report, a third of the world’s population will live where the deficit is greater than 50% just 20 years from now. Multinational corporations are taking notice of the compelling business and humanitarian reasons for having a proactive approach to water issues.
Water Neutrality: A Controversial Concept That Can Spark Innovation
6
With water use a potential deal breaker to doing business in certain regions, waterintensive corporations are
Special Report
Valuing Water: HoW
Can Businesses Manage tHe CoMing sCarCity?
http://environment.wharton.upenn.edu • http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
sponsors
The Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) and Knowledge@
Wharton have partnered to create this special report on business and the environment. We are most grateful to the Xerox Foundation for supporting collaboration and funding of this edition.
Contents
Valuing Water: How Can Businesses Manage the Coming
Scarcity?
Water is a paradoxical commodity: It seems free and plentiful, yet its supply is under tremendous strain. Use of fresh water has more than doubled over the past 50 years, and many fear that we are coming close to a frightening breaking point, a world where chronic water shortages for farmers, businesses and people is the norm. Some experts even see international conflict emerging over access to dwindling supplies. Recognizing these concerns, companies are undertaking major programs to realign their water use with core business and humanitarian interests. But while objectives like being “water neutral” and using “footprinting” — tracking the use of water throughout the supply chain — are ambitious, what is being done to achieve them? Are these goals realistic, and will they have enough impact? This special report addresses these questions.
In a Water-stressed World, Corporations Conserve
1
Global water requirements will outstrip supply in the years ahead. According to one report, a third of the world’s population will live where the deficit is greater than 50% just 20 years from now. Multinational corporations are taking notice of the compelling business and humanitarian reasons for having a proactive approach to water issues.
Water Neutrality: A Controversial Concept That Can Spark Innovation
6
With water use a potential deal breaker to doing business in certain regions, waterintensive corporations are