5 March 2013: The UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate convened an international conference titled “Corporate Water Stewardship and the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Drawing from the India Experience.” Participants explored how the business community can contribute to addressing water and sanitation challenges, including through the post-2015 development agenda.
In a video address, Jan Eliasson, UN Deputy Secretary-General, identified the global sanitation crisis as a priority. Noting “the business community recognizes that issues related to water scarcity, water quality and sanitation present a range of risks,” Gavin Power, CEO Water Mandate Head, underscored the potential of the CEO Water Mandate and of other corporate initiatives to address water challenges. In this vein, participants noted the role of business in promoting water efficiency in supply chains, particularly in agriculture and in implementing irrigation systems.
Participants called for integrated national water strategies that address the water-food-energy nexus, as well as for improved national and municipal water governance. They also discussed external factors that exacerbate water stress and scarcity, such as climate change, population growth and urbanization. Freshwater demand is expected to exceed supply by 50% in 2030 in India, according to the CEO Water Mandate.
On the post-2015 agenda, participants discussed possible water goals in three areas: water access, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); water resources management; and wastewater and water quality. The World We Want 2015 Platform held online consultations in these three areas, as part of the global thematic consultation on water. The event, which was held in Mumbai, India, on 5 March 2013, was also streamed live on the World We Want 2015 Platform.
The UN Global Office will include the results of the discussions and recommendations in its submission to the UN Secretary-General in its post-2015 submission.
The UN Secretary-General launched the CEO Water Mandate in July 2007 to assist companies in developing, implementing and disclosing water sustainability policies and practices. The CEO Water Mandate is committed to policy and practice in six areas: community engagement; direct operations; public policy; supply chain/watershed; and transparency. [CEO Water Mandate Press Release] [UN Global Compact]