Ecolab Announces Commitment To World Wildlife Fund And The Alliance For Water Stewardship
Goal is smarter, more sustainable water use by industry
(3BL Media) St. Paul, MN – June 5, 2012 – Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) has expanded its commitment to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to support the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) in establishing a global water standard. The AWS International Water Stewardship Standard aims to support water users globally in taking appropriate actions to evaluate and improve their impacts on watersheds.
Ecolab’s two-year pledge includes both annual financial support and in-kind technical support and guidance by company experts to field test the draft AWS standard.
“Water scarcity and poor water quality impact more than a billion people around the world and millions die every year from diseases linked to water and sanitation issues,” said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab chairman and chief executive officer. “Ecolab is fortunate to have considerable water management expertise, and we’re sharing this expertise with others who are working on the serious water challenges facing our world.”
WWF is one of 10 organizations that form the AWS, aiming to promote the responsible use of fresh water. The Global Water Roundtable, a multi-year, multi-stakeholder standard development process sponsored by the AWS, drafted and is working to finalize the International Water Stewardship Standard.
Under the agreement, Ecolab will:
- Test the draft AWS standard with select customers at several locations to gain real-world experience in applying and refining the standard.
- Build market awareness of the need for, and advantages of, using the standard to reduce potential water risks by minimizing the negative impacts of water use in industry.
The first draft of the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard was released in March at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France. When finalized, the standard will define a set of water stewardship principles, criteria and indicators for how water should be managed at a site and watershed level in a way that is environmentally, socially and economically beneficial.
The standard is intended to provide water stewards with an approach for evaluating existing processes and performances within sites and watersheds, and ensuring that responsible water stewardship actions are in place to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive impacts.
A formal 90-day public consultation period for the first draft of the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard is open for public input through June 15. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit feedback via the AWS website, allianceforwaterstewardship.org.
About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More Ecolab news and information is available at www.ecolab.com.
About Alliance for Water Stewardship
The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) was formed in 2009 with the aim of collectively addressing some of the most serious impacts of water use worldwide. AWS believes that collective action – the involvement of all those with an interest in how water resources are managed – is the only way we can fully address the complex nature of the water challenges the world is facing. At the heart of AWS is the development of an International Standard and third-party verification system. Regional engagement processes are critical to the success of both the Standard and the wider stewardship program. AWS’s board organizations are: The Nature Conservancy, Pacific Institute, Water Stewardship Australia, World Wildlife Fund, Water Witness International, Water Environment Federation, European Water Partnership, International Water management Institute, UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, and Carbon Disclosure Project.
About World Wildlife Fund
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for half a century. With the support of almost five million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.
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(ECL-C)
