Our approach
Water shortages are an increasingly common concern around the world and are exacerbated by a number of factors including climate change and population increase. To grow our business sustainably, we must reduce the total amount of water used across our value chain.
We have conducted a detailed study of our water footprint against a 2008 baseline. This study involved an assessment of approximately 1,600 of our products. This has led us to the development of a metric which measures the water in the product as well as the water required for its use. We have done this on a ‘per consumer use’ basis, eg the water needed for one hair wash with shampoo. We estimate that up to 50% of our water footprint occurs in the consumer use of our products in water-scarce countries.
The work we have conducted on our footprint has helped us to develop our strategy and set targets to manage our impact.
Our water strategy is to reduce both our direct and indirect water footprint across our portfolio.
This includes:
- working with farmers and other suppliers to reduce the water used to grow crops
- reducing water use in our manufacturing operations
- designing products that require less water when used by the consumer
- designing products that provide clean drinking water
- helping our consumers understand the changes they can make to save water.
Currently our metric does not include water used in agriculture since there is a lack of reliable data on agricultural water use for the wide range of crops that make up the ingredients in our products. However, to increase our expertise in measuring water impacts, we co-founded the Water Footprint Network (WFN) in 2008 with organisations from the private sector, the International Finance Corporation, WBCSD, WWF and UNESCO. The Network aims to develop a measurement framework that assesses the total water used across the lifecycle of a product and the impact of that on water use.
Why it matters
Water stress is a very local issue affecting regions and countries differently. Therefore, the social, environmental and political aspects of managing water differ greatly between countries and even within countries. Climate change and rising populations are putting increased pressure on existing supplies.
The average amount of water people use varies across the world, but increases with industrialisation. The United Nations states that each person needs 20-50 litres of water per person, per day for drinking and other basic needs. The average North American uses 350 litres daily, while in some of the poorest countries people live on as little as 10 litres. Over 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water. In 2010 the UN stressed the importance of this precious resource as it declared safe and clean water to be a basic human right.
Some 70% of total water consumption around the world is used for agriculture. As global populations grow, so too do the demands from farming. Furthermore, access to fresh water is increasingly problematic as demand grows and water sources become polluted. Even where adequate supplies of clean water exist, they may simply be unaffordable to people on low incomes.
Climate change will exacerbate the problem of water scarcity. Where this pressure on water supplies brings communities and countries into opposition, social and political conflicts may arise.