THE HSBC CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP

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Reynold Osborne
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SUMMARY 2011 Freshwater THE HSBC CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP Answers to the world s environmental challenges can be developed when organisations come together.

Alexander Senior Manager, Environmental Programmes, HSBC Group Corporate Sustainability The HSBC Climate Partnership is a five-year, US$100m environmental programme between

Running from 2007 to 2011, the partnership aims to reduce the impact of climate change on people, forests, fresh water and cities and to accelerate the adoption of

1 SUMMARY 2011 Freshwater THE HSBC CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP Answers to the world s environmental challenges can be developed when organisations come together. We ve been working with WWF for over a decade now and together we are identifying longterm environmental solutions which bring value to business, people and the planet Sue Alexander Senior Manager, Environmental Programmes, HSBC Group Corporate Sustainability The HSBC Climate Partnership is a five-year, US$100m environmental programme between HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF. Running from 2007 to 2011, the partnership aims to reduce the impact of climate change on people, forests, fresh water and cities and to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon policies. It builds on the HSBC Group s previous five-year initiative Investing in Nature which ended in Under the earlier programme we rejuvenated some of the world s key rivers and wetlands and managed, protected or restored 2.2 million hectares of land. 1

WHAT WWF S DOING THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP We re delivering a global programme that focuses on reducing the impacts of climate change on people and their livelihoods.

With HSBC s support we re focusing on river restoration and conservation projects as well as community, business and government engagement.

2 WHAT WWF S DOING THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP We re delivering a global programme that focuses on reducing the impacts of climate change on people and their livelihoods. We re doing this by promoting action in some of the world s major cities and river basins, including the Amazon, Ganges, Thames and Yangtze. With HSBC s support we re focusing on river restoration and conservation projects as well as community, business and government engagement. Below, we highlight our key achievements from this groundbreaking programme. Globally we have: Improved freshwater resources that will benefit 32 million people. Restored, protected or managed 18.5 million hectares of wetland. Reversed or halted the decline of over 50 threatened species. Lobbied several nations to sign up to the UN Watercourses Convention. This will improve the management of 263 rivers that cross international borders. Produced a wealth of innovative reports on water and climate, including vulnerability assessments on the Thames (2008) Yangtze (2009) Ganges (2010) and Pantanal (2011). Engaged millions of people around the world in energy and water efficiency campaigns. Leveraged over 200m of financing for freshwater and climate change work around the globe. Brent Stirton / Getty Images WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND WHERE China We ve reconnected 50 lakes back to the Yangtze river to increase flood capacity. It s improved water quality for the millions of people who live around the lakes. And it benefits biodiversity and increases fish stocks. It s now enshrined in China s national policy that the Yangtze should be reconnected to its lakes. Reconnecting lakes and implementing innovative new sustainable farming methods have helped over 100,000 fish farmers to increase their incomes. Fifteen pig farms in Hubei are using new technology to reduce water pollution and turn greenhouse gases from pig slurry into energy that can power local homes. We re working with the provincial government to turn this new approach into policy. Zhang Yifei / WWF-Canon 2

Zhang Yifei / WWF-Canon Michèle Dépraz / WWF-Canon Our demonstration project has shown that Shanghai s water source can be protected by using advanced wetland management techniques.

We ve helped set up a network of 40 protected areas covering 16,500 sq km along the Yangtze, to improve the management of wetlands.

3 Zhang Yifei / WWF-Canon Michèle Dépraz / WWF-Canon Our demonstration project has shown that Shanghai s water source can be protected by using advanced wetland management techniques. At our demonstration site water quality has improved, biodiversity has recovered and local people s income has increased. We ve helped set up a network of 40 protected areas covering 16,500 sq km along the Yangtze, to improve the management of wetlands. China s government has asked us to extend the network along the entire Yangtze to cover roughly 185,000 sq km in 102 protected areas. Populations of 48 threatened species including the Chinese alligator and the finless porpoise have increased Having built our reputation as freshwater experts, we re now advising the Chinese Ministry of Water on its forthcoming 25-year master plan for water. We re also working with the Three Gorges Dam Commission to reduce its ecological impact. In cities such as Shanghai and Baoding, we ve demonstrated ways that cities and businesses can reduce their CO 2 emissions. Our pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 received over 1.6 million visitors. Some 25,000 people made a pledge to the environment at the event. India We ve developed a way of determining how much water needs to flow down the Ganges river to keep it alive. The Indian government s National Ganga River Basin Authority has invited us to coordinate this element of its forthcoming management plan. We ve worked with the sugar and distillery, pulp and paper, and tannery industries on a series of demonstration and training programmes to help them cut pollution and reduce water use by 20-30%. Over 40 students have taken part in our 'Green Chemistry Training Series' for the tannery sector. The series increases understanding of better management practices to reduce pollution and better comply with government standards. We ve successfully piloted a process known as bioremediation, which can tackle pollution in cities. Bacteria that eats sewage have been added to municipal wastewater drains. The Indian government has replicated the technique in a further seven city projects. We ve restored populations of threatened species, including the Ganges river dolphin and the freshwater gharial. 3

We ve developed a method to identify critical areas of the Kali river basin where aquatic biodiversity needs to be preserved from the impacts of hydropower development.

This could provide financial savings of around 10% for the municipality.

4 We ve developed a method to identify critical areas of the Kali river basin where aquatic biodiversity needs to be preserved from the impacts of hydropower development. We ve worked with the city of Kanpur to identify how energy efficiency can be improved in wastewater treatment and distribution systems. This could provide financial savings of around 10% for the municipality. Following a Vulnerability Assessment eight villages in Uttar Pradesh are working on pilot projects that demonstrate how local communities and ecosystems can reduce their vulnerability to climate change through wetland restoration and more efficient use of water. Our Ganga and I, Together Forever campaign has reached out to thousands of people at religious festivals, schools and colleges and at urban and rural community events. The campaign asks people to think about their impact on the river. Mica Ruiz / WWF-UK Brazil We ve supported a 35-fold reduction in pollution in Lake Aruruama following our work with the São João Intermunicipal Consortium. The lake caters for 600,000 residents, and over two million tourists visit each year. In the Pantanal, our ecosystem-wide vulnerability assessment has highlighted which headwaters are most at risk from climate change. We ve made recommendations on how to safeguard them. We ve worked with a local community in the Pantanal to implement conservation measures that ll reduce problematic soil erosion in vulnerable headwaters and increase the community s resilience to climate threats. In Acre, we ve been an instrumental partner in developing the state s first water plan. The plan, due to be launched in 2011, is the first of its kind in any Amazon state. Using lessons learned during our demonstration projects, WWF-Brazil has been successful in lobbying the Brazilian government on its National Water Plan. The plan has adopted two of WWF s key requests concerning climate change adaptation. WWF-Brazil is to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Rio de Janeiro State Environment Agency on measures and targets for climate change adaptation. We re working with Acre state government and the National Institute for Space Research to produce an illegal logging index that ll help reduce deforestation levels. Testing of satellite images is well under way and the index should be ready in Edward Parker / WWF-Canon 4

Our climate and water campaigns have reached out to more than 17 million Brazilians. HSBC sponsored WWF s Earth Hour our global awareness-raising event in Brazil in 2010 and 2011.

UK Simon Rawles / WWF-UK Jiri Rezac / WWF-UK As a direct result of our lobbying on the EU s Water Framework Directive, the UK government has committed to a new approach to river basin management that

5 Our climate and water campaigns have reached out to more than 17 million Brazilians. HSBC sponsored WWF s Earth Hour our global awareness-raising event in Brazil in 2010 and In addition, HSBC sponsored Brazil s first ever water footprint seminar in 2011, which opened a dialogue with the private sector on water stewardship. UK Simon Rawles / WWF-UK Jiri Rezac / WWF-UK As a direct result of our lobbying on the EU s Water Framework Directive, the UK government has committed to a new approach to river basin management that will improve thousands of rivers and water bodies, so they reach good ecological status. This includes a new investment of 110 million between 2011 and Our Rivers on the Edge project has resulted in new government commitments to reform the water abstraction licensing regime. It s great news for the hundreds of rivers where high levels of abstraction currently threaten the ecosystem. Ofwat is taking forward recommendations we developed as part of our Itchen Initiative, as it considers future regulation of UK water companies. We re working with water companies to help half a million households become more water efficient. To date, this includes fitting over 2,000 homes in Swindon with water efficiency devices, in a bid to make it the UK s most waterefficient town. And we ve supported the installation of over 50,000 smart water meters. Our UK Rivers programme is helping to increase awareness of our freshwater work. It s clocked up over 18 million media opportunities to see our messages since In 2010, 51% of people said that they were aware of our work conserving the world s freshwater resources (up from 22% in 2009). Significantly, 36% of UK residents say they ve seen information about the link between water use and damage to UK rivers. Through the Our Rivers campaign, we ve mobilised over 2,000 local groups and people to take action and stand up for their rivers. We ve contributed to policy and awarenessraising campaigns, including the successful Our Rivers awards. Thousands of people visited our chalk stream inspired 50 th Anniversary Garden at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, which asked them to think about water use. 5

6 STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER FOR MORE INFORMATION Please feel free to contact Hugh Mehta, Global Partnership Manager Why we are here To stop the degradation of the planet s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. wwf.org.uk WWF-UK charity registered in England and Wales number and in Scotland number SC039593, a company limited by guarantee registered in England number Panda symbol and WWF Registered Trademark of WWF-World Wide 6 Fund for Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund). THE HSBC CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP 2011 WWF.ORG.UK/HSBC

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