Since 2010, efforts have been made together with the private sector to build a water governance agenda in Latin America, using the water footprint as management tool.

The United for Water project, coordinated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Center for Sustainability Studies of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGVces), was launched in Brazil on 6 June with the aim of reducing the water footprint of the companies that are members of this initiative in Brazil.

As part of the project, which covers the period 2023-2026, a webinar was held, opened by Juliana Picoli, a researcher at FGVces, and Kenneth Peralta, SDC Regional Officer, who presented the initiative and the objectives set for this new stage. See the complete event here.

During his lecture, Kenneth Peralta presented the countries involved in the new cycle, that is, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Uruguay (the last two through remote actions),  and the project’s lines of work, which seeks to strengthen public policies, improve corporate water governance, promote responsible consumption, conserve natural infrastructure, and form a community of practice and knowledge and experience and exchange.

In Brazil, the initiative is implemented by FGVces in partnership with ACV Global Compact Network and ACV (learn more here). Among the companies committed to participate in the project are: Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA), and San Salvador Alimentos, along with others that are still in the selection phase. These companies will receive training on methodologies and tools that will help them to quantify their water footprint, and will subsequently carry out a study to calculate the footprint of a product in their service portfolio.

In this regard, Juliana Picoli remarked that one of the project’s distinguishing elements will precisely be this training and capacity strengthening, to help companies implement sustainable practices: By this, the companies themselves will carry out the study of their footprint, unlike what would happen with an external consultancy project. After the study, the companies will be able to implement a footprint reduction plan based on the results and critical points previously identified.

Round table with experts

To highlight the importance of the water footprint in business management, a round table discussion with local experts was held: Mario Cardoso, manager of Natural Resources of the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Sonia Chapman, executive secretary of the Brazilian Business Network for Life Cycle Assessment, and Felipe de Sá Tavares, superintendent of Hydrological and Socioeconomic studies of the National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA Brazil).

Under the moderation of Guarany Osório, coordinator of the Environmental Politics and Economics programme at FGVces, the panel addressed various topics ranging from the regional diversity of Brazil, which generates different demands in terms of water management, to the challenges of communication to inform and influence behavioural changes regarding the role and value of water.

The panel highlighted the importance of integrated action between public and private sectors, as well as the society at large. Sonia Chapman highlighted that Sustainable Development Goal No. 17, on partnerships, has not been sufficiently addressed. However, she stressed that the actions of companies are correlated with those of other actors. Therefore, there should be a sense of co-responsibility in the value chain, even in identifying process improvement opportunities. She also indicated that collaboration and communication between the different actors in the sector are essential for holistic water management.

In the same vein, Mario Cardoso pointed out that, although the management of water resources has a direct impact on the companies’ competitiveness, many continue to operate under the “management of fear”, acting only when there is a shortage. In order to change this scenario, a “more predictable environment” is required, which allows for long-term planning by the business sector. He also defended the need for a new legal framework to allow companies to invest in and/or test new technologies and approaches. Finally, he stressed the importance of water for a competitive and sustainable production chain, and the role of the CNI in improving the institutional environment through support with incentives and regulations.

On this point, Felipe Tavares mentioned that a “regulatory sandbox” could be created, which would function as an experimental regulatory environment, with the purpose of temporarily suspending the obligation to comply with the required standards, in order to allow experimentation and encourage innovation. Finally, Tavares emphasised that the agendas of climate, biodiversity, water resource management, waste management, among others, are interconnected and should be worked within business strategies. However, “it is the climate agenda that has more visibility and space in companies,” he said.

Source: Getulio Vargas Foundation

Original article in portuguese here

United for Water is a programme led by the Thematic Section Water of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It has direct actions in Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil, promoting exchange with other Latin American countries. We work to strengthen good water governance, maximising the strengths of the public and private sectors and civil society around responsible production and consumption. The aim is to highlight the value of water for society.

More information:
Web United for Water
Web United for Water – Brazil
FS United for Water (Span)