Water Footprints 101

Water is important, you already know that. We need it to live, to grow food… even to cool AI training models. Clean water is a precious resource, but the real challenge lies in having the right amount of water in the right place - the climate crisis makes both heavy rainfall and droughts more likely. We’re seeing an increase in water-related disasters, such as the devastating floods in Spain and ongoing droughts in the Amazon.

Agriculture, with its high water demand, is especially vulnerable to these shifts - over 25% of crops globally are threatened by water risk. Water, and the lack of it, poses big risks to businesses. Recognising this, there is a greater call for companies to measure their water impacts.

So, today we’re looking into water footprints, what they mean, and how to do them.

Basic Principles of Water Footprinting

Accounting for water is a bit more complicated than carbon. CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) are relatively straightforward: it doesn’t matter where, when, or how CO2 is emitted — its impact on the atmosphere is the same.

For water, you need to know more than just how much water you’re using. Other key issues affecting water footprinting are:

• Where I’m using water - Different river basins and aquifers have different amounts of water, different users of water, and therefore different levels of water stress risk.
• What source of water I’m using - The scarcest water resources tend to be from groundwater, so it’s better to use surface water, rainwater, or even recycled water.
• When I’m using water - Water consumption creates less stress if it's focused during the rainy season.
• The quality of my water - Specifically, the water you discharge. After use, how much waste heat and chemicals are in it?

So a business's water footprint accounts for the above factors when measuring the total water use, covering both:

• Direct water use - the water consumed or withdrawn for use in a company's facilities. This could be water used for manufacturing, cooling, cleaning, and other processes.
• Indirect water use - The water footprint of the supply chain. From water in the production of the goods and services a company purchases. This includes water used in agriculture, raw material extraction, processing, and transportation.

Water accounting standards

Unfortunately, there isn’t yet one water accounting standard to rule them all. While there is the ISO14046 standard for calculating water footprints, this doesn’t marry up with a reporting standard to drive companies to publicise their footprints.

Instead, there are various initiatives and frameworks that tackle water sustainability reporting from different angles. This means that they have different emphases and different depths of coverage on water issues.

The table shows different categories of standards, in order of water specificity:

What should businesses do next?

Water will be more important for some businesses than others. Since 70% of humanity's water use is in agriculture, those in the textile and food sectors are at the highest risk.

The best approach depends on where you’re at on your water journey. Here are some suggestions for getting started:

• Diving in: Risk assessment. A good place to start is by knowing where the issues are. The most important parts of the business to focus on will have the greatest dependency on water, or located in the most at-risk locations. Check out the WWF tool.
• Having a paddle: Calculating water footprints. Now you know what facilities are at the highest risk - it's time to calculate their footprints. This needs good upstream data, at the very least you need to know what commodities you are purchasing and from where. 99% of a product footprint is liable to come indirectly.
• Getting the strokes in: Setting water targets. With an understanding of your water impact, you should set reduction targets. SBTN has now?validated?the first of these water targets.

Written by Dan Enzer

Events

?????Packaging & Sustainability Roundtable A vendor-free event for sustainability and packaging professionals in the Food & Beverage industry. Featuring an expert panel and peer-to-peer workshops, we’ll explore Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and the pivotal role packaging will play as a key collaborator for sustainability teams in 2025.

?? Date: 5th December

??Location: Chicago

Navigating Sustainability Claims Responsibly

This is a summary of the Communicating Sustainability panel from our recent Flagship F&B Summit. Panelists included: Emmaline Rogers (HEINEKEN), Alanta Moodley (Mondelēz) and Ashna Tanna (Altruistiq).

Making sustainability claims on packaging requires more than catchy slogans — it demands specificity, evidence, and a strong alignment with your brand’s core values. Here’s how to get it right:

• Educate Your Team: Ensure everyone understands the area covered and the type of claims you want to make. Whether they’re absolute or comparative between own products (e.g., “10% less plastic than our previous version”).
• Proactive Management: Give your marketing team guardrails that ensure freedom to communicate creatively, but responsibly. Focus on transparency and providing information backed by life-cycle assessments (LCA).
• Know Your Audience: Avoid assumptions about what customers care about. Research their values, listen to their feedback, and tailor your messaging accordingly. Consumers need meaningful, substantiated claims. Make sure your environmental impact messaging is backed by robust data and genuinely addresses their concerns.
• Debunk the Immediate ROI Myth: Don’t expect every sustainability claim to deliver instant sales. Building credibility and trust can have long-term benefits, even if conversions aren’t immediate.
• Adapt and Pivot: Be ready to speed up, adjust, or completely shift your approach if the messaging isn’t resonating or circumstances change.
• Embrace “Different Shades of Green”: Avoid greenwashing and greenhushing. Understand that building a sustainable brand is about more than making claims—it's about integrating sustainability into the brand's DNA.

Written by Frankie Musson

Other News

• ????New Mercedes-Benz Recycling Plant Recovers 96% of EV Battery Materials (edie): Mercedes-Benz has opened Europe’s largest recycling plant for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in southern Germany. The facility boasts a 96% recovery rate for materials, using an energy-efficient, low-temperature mechanical-hydrometallurgical process. This process minimizes waste and carbon emissions, utilizing solar power for operation. With an annual capacity of 2,500 tonnes, the plant will supply materials for over 50,000 new EV battery modules.
• ?????World Bank Set to Double Agriculture Funding to $9 Billion (Bloomberg): The World Bank will double its annual agricultural investments to $9 billion by 2030, aiming to address climate risks and job creation in developing nations. President Ajay Banga emphasized a new strategic focus on agribusiness, with plans to mobilize $5 billion in private sector investment. This shift comes as global food demand is projected to increase by over 50% in coming decades.
• ??????Met Office Works with Chinese Farmers to Protect Tea Harvest (Independent): The Met Office is collaborating with Chinese scientists and farmers to protect tea production in Yunnan Province from climate change. The “Tea-CUP” project gathers data on local growing conditions, analyzing how rainfall impacts tea yield, price, and quality. The aim is to improve seasonal predictions, helping farmers adapt to future climate events like droughts or heavy rain. This effort is part of a broader UK-China climate partnership, enhancing the tea sector’s resilience and developing tailored adaptation strategies.
• ??????Azorean Achievement: EU Makes Progress Towards 30x30 (Euronews): The Azores now hosts Europe’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) network, covering 287,000 square kilometers. This initiative protects vital marine life, such as deep-sea corals and whales, by designating 15% of the waters as fully protected and another 15% as highly protected. This effort aligns with the global 30x30 target of preserving 30% of oceans and land by 2030. Leaders hope the Azores' example will inspire similar initiatives globally, contributing to ocean health and biodiversity.

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