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Ecolab Demonstrates Water Stewardship Leadership with New WAVE Certification from The Water Council
ST. PAUL, Minn. – July 25, 2024 – Ecolab Inc., a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, announced it has received a new Water Stewardship Verified (WAVE) certification for its leading water stewardship efforts at its facilities. The WAVE certification, which is a program that helps corporations accelerate their water stewardship performance and reporting, demonstrates that Ecolab has strategically prioritized water-related action where it matters most, leading to meaningful outcomes for its operations, customers, partners and local communities.
WAVE is an independently verified program established by The Water Council that helps organizations assess enterprise-wide water uses, impacts and risks. It provides a framework for participants to advance water stewardship initiatives that combine organizational goals with impactful site-level actions.
Ecolab recognizes the importance of water in protecting the environment, human health and economic development in local communities. With a robust water stewardship strategy in place for its facilities across its global operations, the company is making steady progress toward its ambition of achieving Net Positive Water Impact.
“Effective water stewardship at our operations remains central to Ecolab achieving a net positive water impact by 2030,” said Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, at Ecolab. “This WAVE certification is a further testament to the incredible work of the Ecolab team to implement an enterprise-wide water stewardship strategy that complements our local actions.”
As part of its vision to create 2030 Positive Impact, Ecolab aims to reduce its water impact by 40% per unit of production across its enterprise1. Most recently, in 2023, the company delivered on water stewardship projects resulting in more than 153 million gallons (~580,000 cubic meters) of water savings. Building off the successes and learnings of its own water stewardship projects, Ecolab applies its expertise and technology to help customers meet their own water stewardship goals. In 2023, Ecolab helped customers save 226 billion gallons of water. The company is on pace to help customers conserve 300 billion gallons of water by 2030.
Following a robust water risk assessment and as part of its water action plan, Ecolab works to implement water reduction, reuse, recycling and replenishment strategies at its facilities and in basins with high water stress to help protect water resources of surrounding communities. Whether that’s working to use non-potable water in production processes, implementing advanced water reclaim systems, or working to protect and restore local watersheds through nature-based solutions, Ecolab is committed to continuously improving conservation, reuse, recycling and restoration of water wherever it operates.
Having completed the rigorous process to earn WAVE Certification, Ecolab reinforces the critical importance of sourcing high-integrity data, leveraging real-time insights, and taking a comprehensive enterprise-wide approach to smart water management. The company’s commitment to enact responsible water stewardship practices is more prevalent than ever, as consumer expectations for water stewardship increase and the global water crisis intensifies. Achieving WAVE Certification for Ecolab’s facilities further strengthens Ecolab’s water stewardship position, helping the company continue on its mission to protect our world’s most vital resources.
To learn more about Ecolab’s water stewardship efforts, visit: https://www.ecolab.com/corporate-responsibility/environment/water-stewardship
1From a 2018 base year
“This WAVE certification is a further testament to the incredible work of the Ecolab team to implement an enterprise-wide water stewardship strategy that complements our local actions.”
Emilio Tenuta
Ecolab Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer
About Ecolab
A trusted partner for millions of customers, Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) is a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and the resources vital to life. Building on a century of innovation, Ecolab has annual sales of $15 billion, employs more than 48,000 associates and operates in more than 170 countries around the world. The company delivers comprehensive science-based solutions, data-driven insights and world-class service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, and optimize water and energy use. Ecolab’s innovative solutions improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, life sciences, hospitality and industrial markets.
Follow us on LinkedIn @Ecolab, Twitter @Ecolab, Instagram @Ecolab_Inc and Facebook @Ecolab.
About The Water Council
The Water Council (TWC) is a global hub dedicated to solving critical water challenges by driving innovation in freshwater technology and advancing water stewardship. Built on more than a century of innovation, TWC has coalesced one of the most concentrated and mature water technology clusters in the world from its headquarters at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Recognizing the need for smarter and more sustainable use of water worldwide, TWC also promotes water stewardship as a natural complement to water innovation in the effort to preserve freshwater resources in the Midwest and around the world. Today, The Water Council has established itself as a global leader in the water industry and one of America’s premier economic development clusters as recognized by government agencies, Brookings and the Harvard Business School.