New award for water reduction

The Carbon Trust has launched an international award for water reduction to catalyse business action on measuring, managing and reducing water use. It expacts that this will fundamentally change businesses' sustainability benchmarks and the way they are viewed by investors, stakeholders and customers.

According to the Carbon Trust and a number of business pioneers in water management, water is the new frontier in the battle against climate change and the devastating impact of depleting resources. The Carbon Trust is using this platform to urge businesses to reduce their water consumption as a matter of urgency.

Tom Delay, CE, said: "Addressing water use within a business has, until now, not been high on the agenda for many businesses. However, the harsh realities of future water scarcity mean this needs to change and fast. We've launched the Water Standard to help companies monitor and manage their water use and build resource efficiency into future business plans. We know from our experience helping companies manage carbon reduction that a stringent approach to use of resources can lead to commercial opportunities and thriving businesses, particularly for those who take the lead and set the benchmark for others to follow."