Dean Amhaus, The Water Council
The Water Council announces a new program to improve, report and recognize good corporate water stewardship. WAVE – Water Stewardship Verified – provides a proven onramp for companies to develop thoughtful strategies, set meaningful goals and take impactful action on water across the enterprise, concluding with independent verification that the company has built a credible foundation of knowledge on which to base its water stewardship work, according to the organization.
The Water Council, a nonprofit dedicated to freshwater innovation, reportedly spent the past two years creating, piloting and refining the WAVE methodology. The Water Council says it has helped companies mitigate water-related risk and improve water stewardship outcomes for years. But it identified a gap in the market when it comes to connecting corporate water stewardship plans and goals with meaningful operational action. The WAVE program bridges that gap.
“No longer are environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related performance improvements and reporting optional for businesses. While attention has largely been directed at carbon when tackling environmental issues, water is right around the corner,” says Dean Amhaus, The Water Council president and CEO. “WAVE offers companies a blueprint to create a water stewardship strategy and begin the critical work of improving water-related outcomes.”
WAVE participants will be independently verified by SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party verification of environmental, social and sustainability performance, helping organizations demonstrate and communicate their corporate responsibility and sustainability success stories. Independent verification is crucial to demonstrate to investors, customers and other stakeholders that the company has prioritized water-related action where it matters most, ultimately mitigating water-related risk and addressing shared water challenges and opportunities while building a more water-resilient supply chain.
“With third-party verification comes confidence in the legitimacy of water stewardship achievements and environmental contributions, and that is more important than ever to stakeholders,” says Rae Mindock, SCS Global Services’ manager for responsible water practices.
The Water Council piloted the WAVE program with several major companies, including Watts Water Technologies, Nutrien, A. O. Smith Corporation and Badger Meter.The WAVE program is available to organizations of all sizes, industries and locations.
For more information, visit www.waveverified.com
