Advocate for effective water policies and stewardship
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Water stewardship advocacy
Our commitment
Why it matters
Water is a shared resource. Protecting it must be a shared effort as well, especially in areas of scarcity. That is why we participate in partnerships and long-term projects to develop and evaluate solutions to the challenges we face with regard to water stewardship.
What we are doing
In 2019, we achieved our 2020 objectives and so developed our commitment to have all our Nestlé Waters factories certified by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) by 2025. We collaborated through multi-stakeholder platforms to develop solutions to water scarcity. We also worked with our employees, engaging with them through seminars. Read more about it in our 2019 progress report.
By 2020
Continue to build the 2030 Water Resources Group public-private partnership by adding one more state or country per year
By 2020
Continue supporting the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard by implementing it in five new locations
Demonstrating our commitment
Improving industrial water use in Kenya
The industrial sector is a key source of income in Kenya, accounting for 21% of national GDP. However, given the size of the sector, it is also placing significant strain on the country’s water supply. Demand already outweighs supply by 20%, and this is expected to increase to 60% by 2035. To address the issue, the Kenya Industrial Water Alliance (KIWA) was established by the 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) in 2016, bringing together public, private and civil society organizations. KIWA, of which Nestlé East Africa is a founding member, acts as a forum through which stakeholders can collect data on water use and design and implement plans to promote sustainable industrial water management and pollution prevention.
Solutions to Nairobi’s unique water-related challenges can only be found through strong involvement among public, private and civil society players. This alliance creates an opportunity to properly engage in a way that did not exist before.Phyllis Wakiaga, KIWAChair and CEO of Kenya Association of Manufacturers
Cutting water footprints with Blue Certificates in Peru
In 2016, the 2030 WRG, in collaboration with a range of partners, including Nestlé, developed the Blue Certificate initiative. Led by Peru’s National Water Authority (ANA), the program is designed to encourage private sector companies to become more water responsible through assessing their water footprints. As one of the top 30 countries that suffer from water stress and scarcity, this is an important step for Peru, helping to preserve water sources and meet the needs of the country. To date, 11 companies are in the process of achieving Blue Certificate status, with eight already recognized. It is estimated that the ANA will save 3.4 million m3 of water annually and reuse approximately 122 586 m3 through the initiative.
Through the Blue Certificate, Nestlé has launched two projects:
- Water Footprint Reduction: Having updated the ice cream machinery cleaning processes in our facilities, we are now saving 14 232 m3 water each year.
- Shared Value project: We donate water from our wastewater treatment plant to the Municipality of Lima to be reused for irrigation purposes. This has resulted in the reuse of 23 040 m3 water annually.
