Greetings John from World Water Week!
I am in Stockholm, Sweden this week where capital market leaders and sustainability advocates are turning the spotlight on the growing global water crisis.
As we gather to strategize and plan how we are going to tackle this challenge, devastating images of drought and flooding continue to surface from Lake Mead, the Indus River and other freshwater sources throughout the world.
The message is clear: We all play an important role in protecting the world’s most precious natural resource—from investors to companies to governments. We have an opportunity right now to come together and build on the private sector mobilization efforts of last week to meet this challenge.
The predictions are startling: It’s estimated that global water demand will exceed supply by 56% by 2030, further exacerbating water scarcity and quality issues around the world.
Just like climate risk, water risk is a material financial risk. Addressing it as such is an important step towards advancing solutions. Water management is a core pillar of sustainable business leadership, risk management and strategic planning.
 Investors are increasingly recognizing this: Last week, Ceres launched the Valuing Water Finance Initiative,
a first-of-its kind investor-led engagement effort to drive the necessary large-scale corporate change we need to safeguard our water systems and limit the risks that we face from inaction. At launch, 64 investor signatories representing nearly $10 trillion in assets under management joined together to urge 72 companies with large water footprints to value water and address their water impacts as material and financial risks.
At World Water Week, I am calling on all stakeholders to join us in this effort. There is so much work to do to ensure we have sustainable water supplies for generations to come.
Please consider watching our recent webinar conversation with California State Controller Betty Yee and Local Authority Pension Fund Forum executive committee member John Anzani, as well as Ceres’ own Rev. Kirsten Snow Spalding to hear how you can do your part. We need you more than ever. |
Thank you,
P.S. In addition to the webinar, you can check out this Wakelet of news stories to read more about our new initiative. |
