Goal is smarter, more sustainable water use by industry
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) has expanded its commitment to World Wildlife
Fund (WWF) to support the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) in
establishing a global water standard. The AWS International Water
Stewardship Standard aims to support water users globally in taking
appropriate actions to evaluate and improve their impacts on watersheds.
Ecolab's two-year pledge includes both annual financial support and
in-kind technical support and guidance by company experts to field test
the draft AWS standard.
"Water scarcity and poor water quality impact more than a billion people
around the world and millions die every year from diseases linked to
water and sanitation issues," said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab
chairman and chief executive officer. "Ecolab is fortunate to have
considerable water management expertise, and we're sharing this
expertise with others who are working on the serious water challenges
facing our world."
WWF is one of 10 organizations that form the AWS, aiming to promote the
responsible use of fresh water. The Global Water Roundtable, a
multi-year, multi-stakeholder standard development process sponsored by
the AWS, drafted and is working to finalize the International Water
Stewardship Standard.
Under the agreement, Ecolab will:
-
Test the draft AWS standard with select customers at several locations
to gain real-world experience in applying and refining the standard.
-
Build market awareness of the need for, and advantages of, using the
standard to reduce potential water risks by minimizing the negative
impacts of water use in industry.
The first draft of the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard was
released in March at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France. When
finalized, the standard will define a set of water stewardship
principles, criteria and indicators for how water should be managed at a
site and watershed level in a way that is environmentally, socially and
economically beneficial.
The standard is intended to provide water stewards with an approach for
evaluating existing processes and performances within sites and
watersheds, and ensuring that responsible water stewardship actions are
in place to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive impacts.
A formal 90-day public consultation period for the first draft of the
AWS International Water Stewardship Standard is open for public input
through June 15. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit feedback via the
AWS website, allianceforwaterstewardship.org.
About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and
more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader
in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and
protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy
environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the
food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more
than 160 countries. More Ecolab news and information is available at www.ecolab.com.
About Alliance for Water Stewardship
The Alliance for Water
Stewardship (AWS) was formed in 2009 with the aim of collectively
addressing some of the most serious impacts of water use worldwide. AWS
believes that collective action — the involvement of all those with an
interest in how water resources are managed — is the only way we can
fully address the complex nature of the water challenges the world is
facing. At the heart of AWS is the development of an International
Standard and third-party verification system. Regional engagement
processes are critical to the success of both the Standard and the wider
stewardship program. AWS's board organizations are: The Nature
Conservancy, Pacific Institute, Water Stewardship Australia, World
Wildlife Fund, Water Witness International, Water Environment
Federation, European Water Partnership, International Water management
Institute, UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate, and Carbon Disclosure
Project.
About World Wildlife Fund
WWF is the world's leading
conservation organization, working in 100 countries for half a century.
With the support of almost five million members worldwide, WWF is
dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the
diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the
environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org
to learn more.
(ECL-C)
Ecolab Inc.
Roman Blahoski, 651-293-4385
MediaRelations@Ecolab.com
Source: Ecolab Inc.
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