New global coalition aims to address water scarcity through efficient lifestyle
“As cities worldwide face increasing pressure to meet the needs for competing water resource demands, re-inventing our urban water systems to be more resilient and resource-efficient becomes critically important,” said World Economic Forum Managing Director Dominic Waughray.
“Achieving systemic change can best be achieved through multi-stakeholder coalitions and fostering cooperation and innovation across a diverse group of leaders – the 50L Home Coalition is an exciting global action platform that will turn this vision into reality.”
A newly launched global action-oriented coalition that includes multinationals like Arcadis, Electrolux, Engie, Kohler, Procter & Gamble and Suez, aims to make a water-efficient lifestyle – 50 liters of daily water use per person – an irresistible aspiration for all.
Convened by the 2030 Water Resources Group, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Economic Forum, the 50L Home Coalition – led by a pioneering leadership group of private sector, public sector and civil society representatives – aims to address water security and climate change besides re-inventing the future of water and changing the narrative on domestic water consumption.
The coalition describes its approach as two-fold: to “encourage water and energy efficiency in households” and “generate awareness that leads to better lifestyle choices for sustainable water use”.
Seventy per cent of the world’s 20 megacities are reportedly already experiencing water scarcity or drought conditions, disrupting business, threatening health and exacerbating inequalities.
“The average home in the developed world is highly inefficient, and average per capita household water use is as high as 500L per day,” the coalition said.
“Because an estimated 16 per cent of total energy use in the home is related to water, this disproportionate domestic water consumption is also contributing to climate change.”
The coalition will advance policies, technologies and cross-industry collaboration to drive responsible water consumption in residential households and commercial buildings as a strategic lever to transform urban water management.
“Our brands reach five billion people around the world, and with this scale comes a responsibility to continue innovating our products to help save energy, water and natural resources,” said Shailesh G Jejurikar, Chief Executive Officer, Fabric and Home Care, Procter & Gamble and Co-Chair of the Coalition.
“We need unprecedented collaboration between businesses, government and civil society to make 50 litres of daily water use per person a reality.”
The coalition will collaborate across four key pillars to accelerate progress towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 6 (clean water and sanitation), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 13 (climate action): Innovation: Developing solutions to address water efficiency in homes and within the wider urban water system; Education: Reshaping peoples’ relationship with water, helping to inspire daily behavioral lifestyle changes; Implementation: Launching pilot projects in water-stressed cities that mobilize local stakeholders and financing; Policy and regulation: Advancing policy, regulatory and industry frameworks to transform household water use.
In facilitating collaboration across these four pillars, the coalition aims to make responsible household water consumption a key aspect of cities’ climate, water security and resiliency strategies.
“The pandemic of 2020 has brought to light the importance of water as a front-line public health defence. In the home, we need water to cook, clean, hydrate and for hygiene,” said World Business Council for Sustainable Development President and CEO Peter Bakker.
“Business is already providing solutions that reduce and remove the need for water used in the home. But we can do so much more. Through the 50L Home Coalition, we want to accelerate and scale the deployment of practical solutions for sustainability that reach the household and trigger systemic change.”
Stating that reinventing water consumption in the home was not something one company or organization could do alone, the coalition has invited visionary leaders from companies, cities or civil society that are committed to solving the urban water crisis and addressing climate change to join it.
“The 50L Home Coalition offers an opportunity to accelerate innovations to enable communities’ appropriate and responsible use of water resources. I am excited about the prospect of leveraging the capabilities of the private sector, public sector and civil society. Together, we will build strong collaborations with policymakers, national and local leaders, and innovators to help cities adapt to climate change and avoid acute water crises”, said 50L Home Coalition Director Braulio Eduardo Morera.
