I’ve been thinking quite a lot about water lately. Not just because of the hosepipe ban that’s been in effect for what feels like ages (though that’s certainly part of it), but because of a rather enlightening conversation I had with my friend Pauline who works for one of those enormous multinational beverage companies. You know the type – they sell everything from fizzy drinks to bottled water and have factories dotted across continents.
“We’re not just conserving water anymore,” she told me over coffee last month. “That’s old thinking. Now it’s all about water stewardship.”
I must have looked puzzled because she laughed and explained, “It’s like the difference between not littering and actively cleaning up the park. Conservation is about using less. Stewardship is about making things better.”
This distinction stuck with me. For years, my understanding of corporate water responsibility essentially amounted to companies installing low-flow taps in their bathrooms and maybe recycling some process water. Turns out, things have moved on quite dramatically in the business world – at least among forward-thinking companies.
Water security is becoming a proper boardroom issue, and frankly, it’s about time. I mean, we’ve all seen those horrifying statistics about how many billions of people lack access to clean water. Or those satellite images showing major lakes shrinking year after year. The Colorado River barely reaches the sea anymore, did you know that? Absolutely mental when you think about it.
What’s interesting is how business approaches to water have evolved. Back in the early 2000s, companies mostly focused on efficiency – using less water per widget produced or whatever. That’s still important, obviously, but it’s a bit like trying to solve traffic by buying a smaller car. Helpful, yes, but not exactly addressing the whole problem.
The shift toward stewardship represents something more holistic. It’s companies recognizing that their water risk isn’t just about what happens inside their factory walls but about the health of entire watersheds – those catchment areas where water flows through on its journey from rainfall to rivers and aquifers.
Take Coca-Cola, for example. Years ago, they faced serious backlash in India when local communities accused them of depleting groundwater. It was a proper PR nightmare, but more importantly, it threatened their license to operate. Since then, they’ve developed what they call “water replenishment” programs, working to return as much water to nature as they use in their finished beverages through watershed restoration projects.
Microsoft has gone even further with their commitment to be “water positive” by 2030, which means they’ll replenish more water than they consume across all their operations. They’re focusing on water-stressed regions where their data centers operate – places like Arizona where every drop counts.
What fascinates me most about these initiatives is the recognition that water is fundamentally a local issue. Unlike carbon emissions, which mix in the atmosphere regardless of where they’re produced, water problems and solutions are tied to specific geographies. A company might have operations in both water-abundant Scotland and water-scarce Morocco, requiring completely different approaches.
I saw this firsthand when I visited my cousin’s farm in East Anglia last summer. The region has been dealing with increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns – we went from waterlogged fields to parched earth in a matter of weeks. A local brewery had partnered with farmers in the area to implement better soil management practices that help the land act like a sponge, soaking up heavy rains and slowly releasing water during dry periods. The brewery benefits from more reliable water supplies, the farmers get more resilient crops, and the local river suffers fewer pollution events from agricultural runoff. Win-win-win, as they say.
Of course, not all corporate water initiatives are created equal. Some are little more than greenwashing – lovely photos of restored wetlands in the sustainability report while the company continues depleting aquifers elsewhere. The devil’s in the details with these things.
The best programs seem to share certain characteristics. They’re science-based, for starters, with proper monitoring and measurement. They involve genuine collaboration with local communities, governments, and other businesses sharing the same watershed. And they’re integrated into core business strategy rather than being treated as charity projects handled by the CSR team.
I was particularly impressed by what PepsiCo has done with their agricultural supply chain in water-stressed regions. Rather than simply imposing water efficiency requirements on farmers (which would be nearly impossible to monitor anyway), they’ve invested in training and technology to help farmers achieve “more crop per drop.” In India, they’ve worked with thousands of farmers to implement drip irrigation systems that dramatically reduce water use while improving yields. The farmers benefit from higher incomes, PepsiCo gets more reliable ingredient supplies, and local water resources face less pressure.
These kinds of approaches make so much more sense than the old “reduce, reduce, reduce” mantra. Don’t get me wrong – using less water is obviously important. But in many contexts, the bigger issue is how water flows through a landscape, how clean it is, and whether it’s available when and where it’s needed.
This brings me to something I’ve been pondering lately about my own relationship with water. I’ve always been quite proud of my water-saving habits – short showers, water butt in the garden, that sort of thing. But my cousin (the farmer I mentioned) pointed out something I’d never considered: “Your biggest water footprint isn’t in your home,” he said. “It’s in what you eat and buy.”
He’s right, of course. The water needed to produce my morning coffee could keep me in showers for weeks. My wardrobe? The cotton in a single t-shirt might require 2,000 liters of water to grow. This “virtual water” concept has made me think differently about consumption in general.
And this is precisely where corporate water stewardship becomes so critical. Companies have enormous leverage over these hidden water flows through their purchasing, manufacturing, and design decisions.
Unilever, for instance, discovered that around 85% of the water footprint for many of their products occurs during consumer use – think washing clothes or showering with soap. So they’ve redesigned products to require less water, like concentrated detergents and shampoos that rinse out more easily.
The fashion industry is another fascinating case. Levi’s developed a “Water<Less” production process that reduces water use in denim finishing by up to 96% for some styles. They’ve also been working with cotton farmers on more sustainable irrigation practices. Given that a single pair of jeans might typically use around 7,500 liters of water across its lifecycle, these changes add up quickly.
What I find most promising about the best corporate water initiatives is how they’re beginning to reconnect people with water sources. Most of us turn on the tap without thinking about where that water comes from or goes to. The same disconnection happens at a corporate level when water is treated simply as an input cost rather than a shared resource with cultural and ecological significance.
Some companies are addressing this by involving employees directly in watershed protection efforts. Intel, for example, has funded and participated in projects to restore sections of the Gallatin River in Montana, where many of their employees live and recreate. Employees volunteer their time for riverbank restoration while learning about local water systems. It’s not just good PR – it helps build an organizational culture that values water beyond its utilitarian functions.
The financial sector is beginning to drive change too. Investment firms are increasingly incorporating water risk into their analysis, recognizing that companies in water-intensive sectors operating in water-stressed regions face material business risks. CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) now runs a global water disclosure system that helps investors identify which companies are managing water responsibly.
I suppose what gives me hope in all this is seeing genuine systems thinking being applied to water challenges. The problems are rarely simple, and they can’t be solved by any single entity working alone. When a watershed is degraded, it might be due to agricultural practices, urban development, industrial pollution, climate change impacts, and governance failures all interacting in complex ways.
The most promising corporate water stewardship programs acknowledge this complexity and work across boundaries – not just organizational boundaries but conceptual ones too. Water isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s also a social justice issue, an economic issue, a public health issue, and sometimes even a geopolitical one.
Look at what SABMiller (now part of AB InBev) did in South Africa, partnering with local authorities and NGOs to remove invasive plant species from watersheds. These thirsty plants were consuming precious water and increasing wildfire risks. The project created jobs for local communities, improved water security for the brewery, reduced fire dangers, and enhanced biodiversity. It’s this kind of multidimensional thinking that really does move beyond mere conservation.
Of course, corporate water stewardship isn’t a panacea. We still need better water governance, updated infrastructure, and more sustainable consumption patterns across society. Companies will always face the fundamental tension between growth objectives and resource constraints.
But what I’ve learned from poking around in this space is that some businesses are genuinely rethinking their relationship with water in ways that could drive meaningful change. They’re recognizing that water isn’t simply something to be extracted, used, and discharged, but rather a shared resource that flows through natural systems, communities, and their own operations.
Next time you drink a beer or coffee, wear a cotton shirt, or switch on a device containing semiconductor chips, spare a thought for all the water that made it possible – and maybe ask whether the company behind it is taking its water responsibilities seriously. I know I will.
Carl, an ardent advocate for sustainable living, contributes his extensive knowledge to Zero Emission Journey. With a professional background in environmental policy, he offers practical advice on reducing carbon footprints and living an eco-friendly lifestyle. His articles range from exploring renewable energy solutions to providing tips on sustainable travel and waste reduction. Carl’s passion for a greener planet is evident in his writing, inspiring readers to make impactful environmental choices in their daily lives.
