Dear John,
Today on World Water Day, we celebrate water and raise awareness for the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. The latest IPCC report outlines a bleak future for clean water, detailing how the rapidly changing climate is already wreaking havoc on the world’s water resources—a crisis that will only grow dramatically with the current trajectory of global warming.
Globally and in the United States, we are facing a water crisis with systemic and far-reaching implications for ecosystems and economies, and the extent and magnitude of climate change impacts are larger than estimated in previous assessments. Without urgent action, freshwater resources will become scarcer, posing significant risks to people’s health, our food supplies, the environment and our economy.
While this does paint a grim picture, there is still a way forward. Along with governments, the private sector is an integral component of the water cycle and has much to lose from critical water risks as climate risks grow. The cost of addressing harmful water impacts could top nearly $1.8 billion annually for some large publicly traded packaged meat and apparel companies and could lead to a change in company valuation of up to -47%.
Given this, it’s never been more clear that the degree to which corporate practices are triggering these severe and systemic impacts exposes companies and their investors to far-reaching financial risks.
This presents an opportunity for collective action.
Read more in: "IPCC Paints a Bleak Picture for Water–But There is a Way Forward." |
In addition to the Investor Water Toolkit and the Valuing Water Initiative, we’re thrilled to announce that Ceres will be adding to its portfolio of investor resources with a forthcoming Global Water Assessment next month. The assessment, slated to publish on April 11, will articulate the scientific case for how certain industries are threatening our water resources and how climate change acts as a threat multiplier. Additionally, the assessment includes steps the private sector can take to chart a path to a better future and ultimately take action.
Together, we can mobilize the power of the private sector to take unflinching action on the water crisis and preserve our precious water systems for generations to come.
We’ll keep you updated as we continue to accelerate investor and corporate action to safeguard the world’s most precious resource: water. |
