The document discusses water issues around the world and implications for global companies. It summarizes that there is too much, too little, or too poor quality water in different places and times. This can pose risks like reputational harm or regulatory issues for companies. However, there are also opportunities to create solutions and gain certification. The Global Water Tool is introduced as a way for companies to assess water use and risks across their operations and supply chains. It provides metrics, maps, and helps with strategic planning, external reporting, and stakeholder communication. Customizations for specific sectors and regions are in development.

1. How to use it
Any suggestions, comments, questions?
GlobalWaterTool@wbcsd.org

2. Water Situation in the World
The right kind of water needs to be in the right place
at the right time, but that’s not always the case
Too much Too little Too bad
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3. Implications for global companies
Risk
• Increased attention on water as a
metric for business performance
• Manage risks: operational, reputational,
regulatory, products & markets, and
financial
• Severity will depend on impacts which
are determined by local conditions
• Organizations with few water impacts
may face many water-related risks
Opportunity
• Source of revenue generating solutions
• Certification in the marketplace 3

4. Corporate Water Risk Management
• Requires an understanding of a company’s
water needs in relation to local conditions
• In your operations, supply chain and ultimately
customers – entire value chain
• Low volume does not necessarily mean low risk
– impacts depend on watershed situation
• Need to collaborate with other users (“shared
resource”)
To manage your water globally,
you need to understand the water situation
locally and beyond your own operations

5. The Global Water Tool
Maps a company’s water use and helps assess
risks by comparing sites, suppliers and workers
location with external data
• How many of your sites are in water-scarce areas? Which sites
are at greater risk?
• How much of your total production is generated from your
most-at-risk sites?
• How many of your suppliers will be in water-stressed regions in
the future?
• How many of your employees live in countries that lack access
to water and sanitation?
“The Global Water Tool is the first step for any company to
make water-informed decisions”

6. What does it do?
 Calculates water consumption, efficiency and
intensity metrics
 Establishes relative water risks allowing
prioritization of actions
 Creates water reporting indicators
 Enables effective communication with internal
and external stakeholders
 Provides context to a company’s water use
based on almost 30 external datasets
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7. How does it work?
 Excel workbook
– company site location (lat/long) and water use
information
– automatically provides outputs (eg inventory,
reporting indicators and charts combining company
data with country and watershed data)
 Online mapping
– companies can plot sites with external water datasets
and download onto maps
– connected to Google Earth
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8. Outputs (I): charts and maps
• Only requires to include geographical coordinates
of sites/suppliers
Outputs (I): charts and maps
On a country and watershed • Projected total renewable water per person 2025 & 2050 (FAO)
basis - for example: • Industrial water withdrawal as par of total (FAO)
• Access to improved drinking water & sanitation (WHO/UNICEF)
• Environmental Water Scarcity Index (IWMI)
• Urban growth rates (UN Population Division)
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9. Projected annual renewable supply per person (2025)
INCLUDE ANIMATION – BLANK MAP AND COLORED
MAP (FADE)
Supplier Office Retail Industrial

10. Outputs (II) based on excel
Outputs (II): excel workbook
• Requires site water use data
– Water inventory (consumption, intensity,
recycling / reuse)
– Reporting indicators (GRI,
Bloomberg, DJSI and CDP)

11. Company feedback
Company experience
 Engagement tool
– Inform executives of potential water availability risks
– Conduct close dialogues with major sites located in water-stress
regions leading to local assessments at those sites
– Educate supply chain partners, initiate capacity building, develop
projects with local communities
 Strategic planning
– Prioritize action and further quantification of risks
– Assist in screening new major projects
– Baseline to start monitoring progress in a consistent way
– Fine tune goals so that they better align with true regional concerns
 External reporting
– Companies’ sustainability reports
– CDP submissions, CEO Water Mandate Communication on Progress
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12. The Global Water Tool 2011
Latest developments
1. Customizations
 Industrial sectors: Power Utilities and Oil & Gas
 Geographies: India and China
2. Complementing global risk assessment
with site level management
 The GEMI Local Water Tool
3. Understanding the dynamic waterscape
 promote engagement
 drive coordination and some harmonization
help business combine tools to yield an effective
approach
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13. Need more info?
Go to: www.wbcsd.org
– Download the tools freely
– FAQs, dataset details definitions
– How to use guides
Any suggestions, comments, questions?
GlobalWaterTool@wbcsd.org