Free online tool helps companies bridge gap between setting corporate targets for reducing water use and achieving them
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies
and services, today launched the Ecolab
Smart Water Navigator, a free online tool to help businesses
throughout the world improve water management at their facilities in the
face of growing global water scarcity.
According to U.N. projections,
the world will experience a 40 percent water shortfall by 2030 unless
action is taken to reduce global water use. Industry accounts for 20
percent of all freshwater use globally and more than 40 percent in
developed countries, and use is trending upwards in developing nations
as they industrialize.
“Every business and every community needs water,” said Ecolab Chairman
and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “There’s so much companies can do right
now, with available technology, to help ensure that everyone will have
the water they need in the future. That’s why we developed this tool --
to help turn good intentions into action.”
More and more companies have water reduction targets, but they often
lack the tools and expertise to achieve them. The Smart Water Navigator,
developed in collaboration with Trucost,
part of S&P Global, and an advisory panel of major private sector
companies, helps bridge this gap.
Based on a straightforward, 13-question assessment informed by leading
water stewardship experts, the Smart Water Navigator shows companies how
their individual facilities are performing compared to industry-leading
water management practices. The tool places each facility on a Water
Maturity Curve, and generates an industry- and location-specific guide
with practical action steps to help a company build sustainable,
“water-smart” practices and achieve the next level on the Water Maturity
Curve.
Using a corporate dashboard, companies can sort their facilities by
geography, water-stress level and water management performance, enabling
them to prioritize specific sites for investment in water-saving
solutions. A benchmarking function also allows companies to assess how
they are scoring on the Water Maturity Curve compared to others in the
same industry.
Water is local, and because every location and every watershed is
different, corporate water use must be tackled at the individual
facility level. But that’s where transformational action is lacking,
said Emilio Tenuta, Ecolab vice president of Corporate Sustainability.
“Ambitious goals are set at the corporate level, but very often,
facility managers don’t have the tools, resources and incentives to meet
expectations. Since 2011, overall corporate water use has only fallen by
10 percent,” said Tenuta. “The Smart Water Navigator will help companies
achieve more substantial water savings.”
The Smart Water Navigator can be used by companies in all sectors of the
economy, whether they manage one facility or hundreds. It can be found
at www.smartwaternavigator.com.
The tool builds on Ecolab’s deep expertise in water management and
complements the Water Risk Monetizer, a tool Ecolab launched in 2014 to
help companies understand the real value of water – which is often
significantly higher than the water bill – to their business.
In 2017, Ecolab helped its customer worldwide save 171 billion gallons
of water, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 590 million
people. Ecolab is set to publish its water savings numbers for 2018 on
World Water Day, March 22.
About Ecolab
A trusted partner at nearly three million
customer locations, Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water,
hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and
vital resources. With annual sales of $15 billion and 49,000 associates,
Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to promote
safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use,
and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food,
healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170
countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.
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Inc.
(ECL-C)
Roman Blahoski
651-250-4385
MediaRelations@Ecolab.com