Water: A sustainability concern for business

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental (CIWEM) recently held a two-day annual conference to address issues within the global water and environment sector. The conference focused on present and future policies, initiatives and business responses with the potential to shape the future of that sector.

According to sustainability advisor Article 13, finding sustainable ways to manage water and the environment is one of  the most pressing multidisciplinary and diverse issues facing the world. Water and environmental management is also linked to developments in areas such as sustainable development, corporate governance, corporate accountability and business ethics.

The CIWEM conference covered a wide range of topics within water and environmental management, including water management; flood risk management; river basin management; environment sector policy and legislation; and climate change.

Article 13’s case studies examine how a variety of organisations are already addressing such issues. Airport operator BAA, for example, has adopted a water management scheme that reduces its reliance on mains water and economically harvests water from rainfall and boreholes, while AWG has developed a “RiverCare” programme that involve communities in cleaning up watercourses.