Corporate Environmental Water Stewardship Go Green Todd Reeve October 17, 2017
Freshwater & Business Risk #1 threat (World Economic Forum 2016) 2/3 rd of companies report water as substantive risk* 44% expect water to negatively impact business operations in next 3 years* Not just food and beverage companies - energy and transportation companies are particularly reliant on water and both sectors have a large water footprint* *CDP 2015 report and US Water Alliance s One Water Roadmap
Corporate Water Stewardship Strategies Framework: Alliance for Water Stewardship 6 steps: Commit; Gather & Process; Plan; Implement; Evaluate; Communicate & Disclose Historical: Business Operational Efficiency Measure, set goals, reduce, report Implement conservation, efficiency, reuse & innovation Emerging: Watershed Collaborative Efforts Identify areas material to operations or supply chain Identify footprint to balance Identify partners and budget Engage stakeholders Ongoing: Policy Engagement Business for Water Stewardship (CO Basin) Ceres Connect the Drops (CA) California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC)
Corporate Water Stewardship Examples Restore a volume of water equal to the final product volume from our breweries located in water-stressed watersheds. that directly contribute to the sustainability of the local water resources. Balance, ounce for ounce, the water used in all our beverages through projects that restore an equal volume of water for natural and community uses. Replenish water by safely returning to communities and nature an amount of water equal to what we use in our finished beverages. Become water positive by promoting improved water management.focusing on both water use and water quality and helping people to have access to clean water. Balance 100% of our manufacturing water footprint for Silk, So Delicious Dairy Free, Horizon and International Delight Balance the water footprint of the Stanley cup final and games during NHL s Green Week
Approaches and Terminology Approaches Volumetric goal setting Accounting methodology & claims Specific reportable outcomes (social, environmental, economic) Goal setting and reporting % of water footprint 100% of highly visible water use % of something customers, stakeholders connect to Not typically philanthropy Terminology No standardization Water is local: issues & needs vary Voluntary Emerging concepts being tested, refined No tolerance for high transaction costs Claims Net Zero Water Neutral Water Offset Replenish Water Balance Water Positive Restore
Motivations and Quantification Motivations Voluntary and varied Social license to operate Water/supply chain risk management Corporate peers & reporting Branding & visibility Stakeholder/customer perception & engagement Vendor, supplier standards Community & stakeholder quality of life Pre-Project Condition Improved Condition Quantification Methods Estimate / measure volume saved, protected, treated or returned Change from pre to post intervention condition Defensible frameworks Scientifically sound Reasonable data requirements Conservative assumptions Additionality Units: million gallons or liters per year
Standards and Future Trends Standards Providers Future Trends Growing investigation of needs & solutions More announcements, commitments Concerns about ROI Exploration of global supply chain projects Calls for standardization NGOs & academics not aligned with pragmatic, real needs of business
BEF Stewardship Project Types & Benefits BEF Project Types Flow Restoration Transaction Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Irrigation Infrastructure Modernization Information Technology Systems Restoration of Natural Hydrology Pollution Reduction and Filtration Barrier and Impoundment Removal Public Awareness and Water Efficiency BEF Project Co-Benefits Groundwater Conservation & Replenishment Food & Water Security; Sustainable Agriculture Recreation & Economic Enhancements Water Use Efficiency Water Quality Improvement Wildlife and Habitat Benefits Community Engagement & Education Reaching under-resourced communities Not all projects generate Water Restoration Certificates (WRCs)
River Flow Profile: Conejos River, CO Project Type Flow Restoration Transaction Project supports voluntary transactions to change, reduce or stop water use (temporarily or permanently) to protect water for environmental benefit. Project Location Southeast CO Project Co-Benefits Groundwater replenishment Food & Water Security Recreation & Economic Enhancements Wildlife & Habitat Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/conejos-river This project partners with agencies, farmers and water managers to use new tools to flexibly manage, store and deliver water during critical times of the year to increase flows and facilitate groundwater recharge. By leasing water, exchanging water at critical times, and shifting the timing of water delivery, project partners have been able to increase habitat for fish and provide important economic and community benefits for residents in the region.
Lake Profile: Caddo Lake, TX Project Type Flow Restoration Transaction Project supports voluntary transactions to change, reduce or stop water use (temporarily or permanently) to protect water for environmental benefit. Project Location Eastern Texas Project Co-Benefits Recreation & Economic Enhancements Sustainable Agriculture Wildlife & Habitat Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/caddo-lake-watershed This project protects natural stream flow in Big Cypress Bayou, the main tributary to Caddo Lake and helps maintain healthy flows in times of drought. This is a pilot strategy to operate dry land ranching operations and reduce future water extraction from the river. The project uses and protects water to benefit flows in the Caddo Lake watershed to benefit sensitive fish and wildlife and maintain aquatic habitat.
River Ag Profile: West Clear Creek, AZ Project Type Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Project supports agricultural water use efficiency to reduce the amount of water withdrawn from surface or groundwater. Project Location Yavapai County, AZ Project Co-Benefits Food & Water Security Recreation & Economic Enhancements Sustainable Agriculture Water Efficiency Improvement Water Quality Improvement Wildlife & Habitat Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/west-clear-creek An integrated set of projects, which includes irrigation system modernization and improved water management will restore flows to West Clear Creek and assure delivery of water to area farmers. Infrastructure upgrades include the installation of a pipeline to improve water delivery to farmers while reducing the amount of water diverted from West Clear Creek. Piping the ditch allows irrigators to divert far less water from the creek, with an estimated 190 million gallons of water per year being restored to improve water quality, recreation, and habitat.
Groundwater Profile: Dairy Drip Irrigation, CA Project Type Irrigation Infrastructure Modernization Project invests in new irrigation infrastructure that allows irrigators to conserve and divert less water from rivers, streams and aquifers. Project Location Central Valley, CA Project Co-Benefits Food & Water Security Groundwater Conservation & Replenishment Sustainable Agriculture Water Efficiency Improvement Water Quality Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/california-dairy-drip-irrigation This project features an innovative drip irrigation system that uses dairy manure through underground drip tape to deliver nutrients and water directly to the root zones of crops, where they need it the most, at the right rates. Many producers are already switching to drip irrigation in response to California s challenging drought conditions, but current drip systems cannot filter dairy manure. The system is proven to reduce excess nutrients, apply the remaining nutrients to crop root zones for maximum uptake, and even improve crop yields.
River IT Profile: Flint River, GA Project Type Information Technology Systems Project supports deployment of high tech systems to monitor and control water management and application to reduce withdrawal of surface and groundwater. Project Location Spring Creek, GA Project Co-Benefits Food & Water Security Groundwater Conservation & Replenishment Recreation & Economic Enhancements Sustainable Agriculture Water Efficiency Improvement Wildlife & Habitat Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/flint-river This project works collaboratively with farmers in an ecologically critical tributary to the Flint River (Spring Creek) to retrofit irrigation systems with new technology that can reduce groundwater withdrawal by up to 20%. By providing funding and technical support to modernize irrigation systems with Variable Rate Irrigation technology (VRI), the project partners with farmers drawing water from the aquifer in the Spring Creek watershed and designs, deploys, and monitors results of new VRI irrigation systems that directly reduce groundwater withdrawal from Spring Creek and the Floridan Aquifer.
Meadow Profile: Upper Dotta Meadow, CA Project Type Restoration of Natural Hydrology Project restores natural hydrologic conditions to facilitate improved capture and infiltration of surface water and groundwater recharge. Project Location Near Quincy, CA Project Co-Benefits Groundwater conservation & replenishment Water Quality Improvement Wildlife & Habitat Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/upper-dotta-meadow This project partners with a local rancher and the US Forest Service to undertake comprehensive restoration that is projected to retain and restore up to 185 million gallons of water per year to the dry meadow ecosystem. The retention of this water in the meadow soils is critical to enhance stream flows, improve water quality and restore native wetland plant communities. The project also includes an agreement with stream landowners to cease diverting water from the stream and to fence cattle out of the fragile riparian and wetland areas of the meadow.
Urban Profile: Proctor Creek-Boone Park W, GA Project Type Pollution Reduction and Infiltration Project utilizes best management practices to filter and/or reduce pollution inputs into rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands or near-shore marine areas. Project Location Atlanta, GA Project Co-Benefits Community Engagement & Education Recreation & Economic Enhancements Water Quality Improvement Wildlife & Habitat Improvement http://businessforwater.org/projects/proctor-creek-boonepark-west Many of the headwater streams that once flowed into Proctor Creek were piped or buried long ago, and the upper watershed overlaps with the City of Atlanta s combined sewer area. Proctor s upper watershed is highly impervious, resulting in large volumes of stormwater runoff when it rains. This project utilizes green infrastructure to address area stormwater impacts and replenish groundwater and while establishing a safe place for children to play and residents to gather.
Contact Us Follow Us BEF Business for Water Stewardship Change the Course @shrinkyourfoot @BWStewardship @changethecourse Val Fishman Chief Development Officer 240 SW 1 st Avenue Portland, OR 97204 503-553-3946 vfishman@b-e-f.org @FishmanVal