Freshwater

Water is essential for all human life. Rising consumption, climate change and pollution are increasing pressure on water supply. Companies and cities need a clear way of minimizing their own impact on water as well as identifying opportunities to invest in collective solutions. 

Addressing how they impact and depend on water will enable companies and cities to specify how to help create sustainable water systems. Incorporating water into their science-based targets for nature will enable them to future-proof growth without depleting or polluting water resources and help drive the transition to a water-secure world.

SBTN’s Freshwater Hub is a collaborative effort led by WWF and WRI, along with Pacific Institute, World Resources Institute, The Nature Conservancy, CDP, and Conservation International – authors of some of the leading frameworks, tools, methods, and guidance for water impact assessment, management, and reporting. The hub is also supported with technical expertise from Limnotech and Substitute ApS. The development process has included robust research, literature review, consultation with technical experts and companies.

The first science-based targets for Freshwater are available now.

The first freshwater science-based targets focus on two key issues: water use, specifically withdrawals from surface water bodies and groundwater, and freshwater pollution resulting from nitrogen and phosphorus.

These pressures are the first to be addressed by freshwater science-based targets because of their relevance to the majority of companies (freshwater use), their significance in specific sectors and environmental issues (freshwater pollution, and are together two of the key pressures that are driving the loss of nature in ecosystems around the world.

Public consultation for Version 2 Freshwater targets open until October 9

The SBTN Freshwater Hub has published draft technical guidance for Version 2 of the Freshwater science-based targets. V2 expands the scope of the current targets to include groundwater use and toxic chemical pollution.

Participate in the consultation

Corporate Water Stewardship and Science-Based Targets for Freshwater

In January 2024, Corporate water stewardship and science-based targets for freshwater, was published by the SBTN Freshwater Hub in collaboration with the Alliance for Water Stewardship.

This paper outlines what freshwater science-based targets are, why they’re important and how they connect to related corporate water stewardship initiatives.