Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Access to clean freshwater is a fundamental human right, yet millions of people today do not have access to clean water for drinking, cooking and sanitation.
This SDG has several 2030 targets to which every company can contribute. These targets aim to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all; improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials; halve the proportion of untreated wastewater; substantially increase water-use efficiency and reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity by ensuring sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater; protect and restore water-related ecosystems; and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
Every Future-Fit Business must avoid slowing down progress toward this SDG by:
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Using water in an environmentally responsible and socially equitable way and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that business operations do not undermine the ability of local communities to meet their water needs. This includes protecting freshwater supplies by eliminating withdrawal from sources that suffer from water stress.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 02 -
Procurement of goods and services does not hinder progress.
The environmental and social footprints of a company’s supply chain affect society’s progress towards many of the global challenges that the SDGs seek to address. By taking steps to increase the fitness of its supply chain, the company encourages actions that support the related SDGs.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 04 -
Eliminating operational emissions that harm people or the environment and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that business operations emit no harmful substances into local water sources, including untreated wastewater.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 05 -
Ensuring operations do not encroach on ecosystems or communities and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that the physical presence of business operations does not disrupt local water systems (e.g. leaving wetlands untouched).
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 08 -
Safeguarding employee health and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that workers across the value chain has access to clean water and adequate sanitation services.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 10 -
Paying its employees a living wage and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that workers across the value chain can afford water for drinking, cooking and sanitation.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 11 -
Ensuring products do not harm people or the environment.
This ensures that products do not cause harm as a likely consequence of their use, and that products do not release substances that (a) directly impact people’s health, or (b) indirectly do so by disrupting ecosystems.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 17 -
Investing in assets that do not hinder progress.
The environmental and social footprints of a company’s investments affect society’s progress towards many of the global challenges that the SDGs seek to address. By taking steps to increase the fitness of its financial assets, the company encourages actions that support the related SDGs.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 23
Any Future-Fit Business may actively speed up progress toward this SDG by:
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Ensuring others contribute less to water stress.
Making more clean water available without exacerbating water stress and enabling people to meet needs using less water reduces contributions to water stress, and supports the continued availability of water for drinking, cooking and sanitation.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 03 -
Ensuring more people have access to clean water.
Ensuring people have access to information that makes it easier to make more socially and environmentally conscious choices facilitates changes in consumption patterns.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 04 -
Ensuring others generate fewer harmful emissions.
Improving water quality by reducing harmful emissions that end up degrading watersheds contributes to ensuring watersheds can meet society's water needs.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 08 -
Ensuring harmful emissions are removed from the environment.
Improving water quality by neutralizing the effects of harmful emissions into watersheds contributes to ensuring these resources can meet peoples' water needs.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 09 -
Ensuring others cause less ecosystem degradation.
Preventing further degradation to watersheds protects the amount of water available for consumption and sanitation.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 12 -
Ensuring ecosystems are restored.
Restoring degraded watersheds increases the amount of water available for consumption and sanitation.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 13 -
Ensuring more people are healthy and safe from harm.
Increasing access to safe and affordable water for drinking, cooking and sanitation ensures more people are healthy and safe from harm.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 16 -
Strengthening infrastructure in pursuit of future-fitness.
Developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 21 -
Strengthening governance in pursuit of future-fitness.
Ensuring governance is accountable, participatory, responsive, responsible and transparent removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 22 -
Strengthening market mechanisms in pursuit of future-fitness.
Overcoming technological, knowledge and incentive barriers through the use of market mechanisms removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 23 -
Aligning social norms to increasingly support the pursuit of future-fitness.
Ensuring social norms align with socially and environmentally responsible behaviour removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 24
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