Corporate Water Accounting: An Analysis of Methods and Tools for ...

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Appendix B: Key Players in Corporate
Water Accounting
Various organizations and initiatives have attempted
to help companies responsibly and comprehensively
account for their water use and discharges and to
achieve sustainable water management in general.
Often these attempts are in the form of developing
methodologies that act as a framework for accounting.
However, these attempts can also be in the form
of online tools, standards, guidance, software, or
certification schemes. This section will provide brief
descriptions of the organizations and initiatives
attempting to advance responsible corporate water accounting
through such methodologies and other tools.
Water Footprint Network
The Water Footprint Network (WFN)
was launched in order to coordinate
efforts between academia, civil
society, governments, the private sector, and intergovernmental
organizations to further develop and
disseminate knowledge on water footprint concepts,
methods, and tools. To these ends, WFN engages in
the following activities:
• Developing standards (methods, guidelines, criteria)
for water footprint accounting, impact assessment,
and the reduction/offsetting of related impacts;
• Developing practical tools to support people and
organizations interested in water footprint accounting,
impact assessment and water footprint
reduction and offsetting;
• Providing for, or arranging for third parties to provide
for, meetings, publications, education, research
and development with regard to the water footprint
concept;
• Promoting the communication and dissemination
of knowledge about water footprinting;
• Supporting government bodies, international institutions,
non-governmental organizations, businesses
and other organizations in implementing water
footprint accounting and developing a sustainable
and fair water policy; and
• Providing advice on the application of the water
footprint and by checking and certifying the use of
the water footprint.
Global Environmental
Management Initiative
(GEMI)
The Global Environmental
Management Initiative (GEMI) is an organization of
companies promoting global environmental and social
sustainability through the development and sharing
of tools and information. In 2002, GEMI released
“Connecting the Drops Toward Creative Water Strategies:
a Water Sustainability Tool” that looks at water
issues at the company-wide level. In 2007, it released
“Collecting the Drops: A Water Sustainability Planner”
which provides tools and detailed guidance on water
issues at the facility level.
World Business Council for
Sustainable Development
(WBCSD)
The WBCSD – a business association of
roughly 200 global companies with efforts to promote
sustainable development - launched its Global Water
Tool in 2007. This tool – developed in collaboration
with CH2M HILL - allows companies to:
• Compare their water uses (direct operations and
supply chain) with water and sanitation availability
information on a country and watershed basis,
• Calculate water consumption and efficiency,
• Determine relative water risks in order to prioritize
action,
• Create key water GRI Indicators, inventories, risk
and performance metrics and geographic mapping.
• Perhaps the most important aspect of this tool is
that it – unlike water footprint and LCA methodologies
–explicitly assesses the business risks
associated with water use and discharge.