Water

Water is a key issue for economic growth, employment, social development, environmental sustainability and political stability.

ICC believes the 5th World Water Forum is an excellent opportunity to look at current water resources that are seriously threatened by population growth, land-use changes, climate change and pollution. Business has considerable skills and resources to bring to the table.

 

ICC is pleased to join with partner business organizations in Business Action for Water (BAW), which brings together a comprehensive network of  businesses, drawn from many sectors and regions around the world to facilitate business input into the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul (16-22 March 2009).
ICC Discussion paper "ICC Views on Water for the 5th World Water Forum", 13 March 2009

 

“Water is a resource that is vital to businesses both for their own survival as well as their contribution to society’s needs. Population growth, urbanization and lifestyles, with their attendant demands for water for food, energy, are increasingly exacerbated by global economic conditions and climate change.”   Guy Sebban, ICC Secretary General

 

ICC believes that the numerous local, national and regional water crises have created a global water crisis.

Many ICC member companies have considerable expertise and knowledge in bringing solutions to water issues worldwide:

 

Arch Chemicals

Arch Chemicals promotes water treatment capacity building in rural and urban communities through its partnerships with NGOs. For example, Arch Chemicals is using its expertise in water treatment to help provide clean drinking water to people in developing countries from Ghana to Guatemala through the supply of water treatment systems that are economically, technically and socially feasible.

 

Bayer CropScience

Bayer CropScience is a leader in the plant science industry, with core competencies in the fields of plant health, weed management and enhanced seed varieties. Healthy plants and those not competing with weeds, use water more efficiently. R&D is underway for stress tolerant plants, which will be more adaptable to drought, flood and other abiotic stresses induced through climate change.

 

Dow

Dow is combining the creativity of its employees with its technological expertise to provide innovative solutions to help supply cleaner and safer water to those in need. These include breakthroughs like lower-cost desalination technologies, more effective ultra filtration systems, materials to improve the sustainability of water infrastructure, and innovative business models for small community water systems.

 

Eskom

Eskom is a large consumer of freshwater in South Africa, accounting for approximately 1.5% of the country’s total annual water consumption. Eskom has recognized that the organization will have to find ways of limiting increases in water consumption and contribute to sustainable water use in South Africa. Eskom is thus committed to support the drive to improve the

management of South Africa’s scarce water resources. For more information, please click here 

 

General Electric (GE)

GE Water & Process Technologies incorporates a number of Imagination Breakthroughs (ideas for growth) from desalination and cooling water solutions to mobile water and petrochemical solutions. These products and services are used to optimize total water/process system performance, safeguard customer assets from corrosion, fouling and scaling,

and protect the environment through water and energy conservation.

 

Nestlé

Nestlé Waters created a very innovative sustainable agricultural advisory initiative in 1992, entitled AGRIVAIR. It is implemented on 92% of the Vittel water resources land area in northern France. AGRIVAIR assists local farmers in “greening” their agricultural practices by supporting them with targeted grants, research and technical assistance. It actively participates in preserving the water resource from pollution.

 

Suez

In late 2005, Suez Environnement signed a management contract for the water and wastewater services of the city of Algiers. The National Sanitation Authority (ONA) and the Algerian Water Board (ADE) are joint 50% shareholders in the stock company, SEAAL, the Algiers operator. The objective is to restore a satisfactory level of service to the population of Greater Algiers. This advanced partnership includes plans for the transfer of Suez Environnement knowledge and an ongoing training programme for the teams at SEAAL.