Unilever has joined both the 2030 Water Resources Group and the Alliance for Water Stewardship, pledging to implement new projects and initiatives to improve water management in nations suffering from water scarcity and poor water quality. For the 2030 Water Resources Group – set up by the World Bank – Unilever will create projects across India, Brazil, South Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia to improve water management. As part of the Alliance for Water Stewardship, the corporate giant will introduce water stewardship programmes for local communities, manufacturing operations and suppliers in 100 water-stressed locations by 2030.
Water scarcity and poor water quality isn’t just an issue for developing countries. Around 40% of the world’s population is impacted by water scarcity, with the World Bank noting that more than two billion people consumer unsafe drinking water. As well as joining the two initiatives, Unilever is expanding its existing water stewardship efforts. Project Prabhat, launched in December 2013, to improve water stewardship at key Unilever factories and facilities in rural India. A Sustainable Living Plan linked programme, the Project has reached almost three million people across more than 30 locations in India to date.
The ambition under Unilever’s involvement with the Alliance for Water Stewardship is one of the company’s new sustainability commitments. Last month, Unilever unveiled a new set of sustainability commitments, pledging to end its contribution to deforestation, promote regenerative agriculture, transition to biodegradable ingredients and reach net-zero emissions for products by 2039 – all supported by a new €1bn Climate and Nature fund.
Source: Edie
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