14 August 2014
ISO Releases Water Footprint Standard
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the ISO 14046 standard, which will allow organizations to measure their water footprint.

The standard ‘Environmental management-Water footprint-Principles, requirements and guidelines' will enable governments, the private sector, civil society and others to measure and report on the potential environmental impact of water use and pollution.

iso31 July 2014: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published the ISO 14046 standard, which will allow organizations to measure their water footprint. The standard, titled ‘Environmental management-Water footprint-Principles, requirements and guidelines,’ will enable governments, the private sector, civil society and others to measure and report on the potential environmental impact of water use and pollution.

The standard, which is based on a life cycle assessment (LCA), is designed to assist in: assessing potential water-related environmental impacts; identifying ways to reduce these impacts; facilitating optimization of water management and water efficiency at organizational, process and product levels; and producing scientifically consistent and reliable information for reporting water footprint results that can be tracked over time. The standard also identifies changes in water quality and quantity and includes temporal and geographic dimensions.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) described its development as “a major step towards meeting the global challenge of water management.” SDC notes that water is increasingly on the sustainability agenda of companies, stressing that a water footprint assessment can help guide companies towards good water stewardship strategies.

ISO is expected to officially launch its water footprint standard at World Water Week, which will take place in Stockholm, Sweden from 31 August to 5 September. [ISO Press Release] [ISO 1406:2014] [SDC Press Release]


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