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An introduction to water footprinting
Water footprinting is a tool for assessing water usage and impacts throughout supply chains. It measures direct and indirect water usage in three categories: blue, green, and grey water. Hotspot mapping can identify locations where supply chain activities place unsustainable strain on local water resources, such as growing crops for export in water stressed regions. Water footprinting aims to increase transparency around water usage and impacts across global supply chains to help companies manage risks and reduce their water footprint.
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An introduction to water footprinting
- 1. Water footprinting -a tool for managing supply chain risks Dr Craig Jones Craig.Jones@CircularEcology.com @EcoCraigJones
- 2. Contents • Why water? •Water impacts • An Introduction to water footprinting • Where is the impact? • Summary
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- 4. Is water thenext carbon? “50 percent of the companies foresee near-term risks (1 to 5 years), with 39 percent currently experiencing impacts such as disruption to operations from drought or flooding, declining water quality, and increases in water prices.” CDP Water Disclosure “UK industry must show leadership on global water security. Through their global reach, businesses must examine their supply chains and production processes to assess and reduce their water footprint. This should be a core component of their corporate and social responsibility strategies.” The Royal Academy of Engineering “Global Water security – An engineering perspective” “water issues are already seriously disrupting manufacturing supply chains, and operational risks will rise...”. “They must first understand their exposure across geographies and along value (supply) chains and product portfolios” McKinsey, “The global corporate waterfootprint”
- 5. Our Water Resource Thereare 1,386 million cubic kilometers (km3) of water on planet Earth. But a lot of that is saltwater, or locked up in glaciers and icecaps. Source: United States Geological Survey Only 0.01% is available to use All the water in the world looks like this
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- 7. Impact 23 new stepshave been added to the base of Mexico City’s Angel of Independence since it was built in 1910. Why? Mexico City is reliant on groundwater for its water supplies but over-abstraction has drained the aquifer below the city, causing the city to subside. The city has sunk 9 metres in the last century- about 10cm per year.
- 8. Impact • 2003 droughtcost Europe €8.2 billion • 2007 Barcelona drought cost Catalan economy 1% GDP • 2011 drought in Texas cost $5.2 billion to the local economy • 2012 drought in US pushed up the price of wheat around the world Water scarcity is an increasing risk to economies and supply chains
- 9. Introducing Water Footprinting:A tool to help manage water related risks Water Footprinting
- 10. Water Footprinting • Waterfootprinting concept was developed by Prof. Arjen Hoekstra, University of Twente (Netherlands) • Water Footprint Manual – Freely available from the Water Footprint Network (www.waterfootprint.org) • Consumption based • Like a carbon footprint • But quite different to calc.
- 11. What is awater footprint? • A water footprint is separated into 3 classifications of net water consumption: Blue Green Grey Freshwater Rainfall ~ Polluted water + +
- 12. Water Footprints • Anaverage bath = ~80 litres • Shower = ~60 litres • For comparison: • 1 cotton t-shirt = 2,700 litres • 1 kg beef = 16,000 litres • 1 tonne of gold = 500,000 litres (withdrawal)
- 13. International Standards –ISO 14046 • ISO 14046:2014 – Environmental management - Water footprint - Principles, requirements and guidelines • Standard based upon life cycle assessment (LCA) • Rather than the water footprint manual (water footprint network - WFN) • Standards normally take a few years to be picked up • Most work to date is to WFN method
- 14. Local consumption &global supply chains. Where is the impact? Water Footprinting
- 15. Hotspot Mapping • Ahigh water consumption isn’t necessarily an issue by itself • We need to consider the stress this demand places on the local water resources • Supply versus demand • Hotspot maps overlay water consumption with local water stress data
- 16. • Picture tothe right is a dried up river bed near Coto Doñana National Park in Spain • Growing strawberries for export • Places too much stain on the local water resources • Strawberries are exported • So consumed elsewhere Coto Doñana National Park, Southern Spain
- 17. Aral Sea inCentral Asia
- 18. Aral Sea inCentral Asia 1989 2008 • Growing of cotton for export has placed serious strain on water resources • Entire sea has almost completely dried up
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- 20. Virtual Blue WaterImport for EU Source: Water Footprint Network
- 21. Water Footprinting: Exposing Wherethe Real Impacts Are • E.g. Steel cladding used in EU… …could be causing a impact in India, which has considerable water shortages
- 22. Water Footprints • Waterfootprint of a lunch • Cheese sandwich • Packet of crisps • Bottle of cola • How much water did you just eat?
- 23. Water Footprint Summary WaterFootprinting
- 24. Summary • Water footprintingis a tool that reveals water related risks and impacts in a supply chain • It shares a name with carbon footprinting • Although it is quite different than a carbon footprint • Good to identify supply chain and life cycle hotspots • Offering transparency and focus • i.e. Is your process 1% or 50% of the impact? • Is the water impact local or halfway around the world? • It can be used to measure, manage and monitor water related impacts
- 25. Thank You forWatching Craig.Jones@CircularEcology.com @EcoCraigJones Water Footprinting