India: Water Footprint Network, IFC and Tata release groundbreaking work on industrial Water Footprint Assessment in India

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India: Water Footprint Network, IFC and Tata release groundbreaking work on industrial Water Footprint Assessment in India

The Water Footprint Network (WFN) alongside IFC and Tata Group is to release the final report of their groundbreaking study on the industrial water footprint in India; “Water Footprint Assessment -Tata Chemicals-Tata Motors-Tata Power-Tata Steel: Results and Learning.”

The public release will take place at Stockholm World Water Week, 3 September, 2013.

The publication documents the results from the world’s first comprehensive industrial Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) which quantified water use and pollution at twelve plants across India from four companies of the Tata Group – Tata Chemicals, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Steel – and in their supply chains, then assessed the sustainability of their water footprint and prioritized strategic actions for reducing associated impacts.

This report provides valuable insights on how to reach actionable response strategies for corporate leadership in water management. The project broke new ground by applying Water Footprint Assessment to industry, going beyond traditional water statistics to water footprints which provide much more detail on water use and pollution and also supported the Tata Group companies in making a firm commitment to water sustainability in their facilities, in their local watershed and in their supply chain.

“As industries face water shortages and stricter pollution regulations, it becomes increasingly important to have a clear path to firstly understand water issues and secondly, to prioritize where to put investments in improvements. Water Footprint Assessment guides a company from the first budding awareness to an in-depth action plan and in the process increases their water intelligence. These four Tata companies now have a higher water I.Q.” says Ruth Mathews, Executive Director, Water Footprint Network.

WFN, with Tata Group and IFC has demonstrated an approach that can be used to identify water sustainability measures within other industries, and this study contributes to the global knowledge pool on corporate water stewardship.

To download the report visit:

http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/WFN%202013.Tata%20Industrial%20Water%20Footprint%20Assessment.pdf