New data from a global survey conducted and commissioned by Ecolab — a global company 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 countries. The survey revealed that 74% of consumers believe businesses should make conserving water an essential priority; 25% of consumers believe companies are taking the right amount of action to conserve water; and more than 60% of consumers said they or a family member had trouble accessing drinking water.
Ecolab senior vice-president and market head for South East Asia, Gregory Lukasik said, “We recognise the necessity of tackling water scarcity, in regions such as Asia, where 1.9 billion people lack access to drinking water and basic sanitation — with the global demand for water expected to increase by 40% by 2030. Accelerated solutions are crucial, and we must continue prioritising water stewardship to keep up with consumer demands.”
Each year on March 22, World Water Day elevates water and sanitation issues. The theme for 2023 is ‘Accelerating Change’ and urges progress towards UN sustainable development goal (SDG6). Ecolab highlighted the company’s role across the year to mark the occasion.
The highlights from the company’s year in water include helping customers conserve 215bn gallons of water in 2022, equivalent to the drinking water needs of nearly 730 million people. By 2030, Ecolab aims to help customers conserve 300bn gallons of water each year, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 1 billion people. Further, Ecolab joined DuPont, Gap, Reckitt, Starbucks and the US International Development Finance Corporation to provide US$139.9m 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 including South East Asia. It also launched the Ecolab Water for Climate programme to help companies respond to the impacts of the energy crisis, climate change and water scarcity. The programme is designed to address these challenges by providing solutions including auditing, consulting, engineering, advanced chemistries and digital technologies that help support reduce, re-use and recycle water strategies across an enterprise.
