Location: Amsterdam RAI
Session: AIWW Conference Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) – round 1
Industry Leaders Forum 2019: local water availability for long term investment
The Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) will focus on the importance of regional and local perspectives to guide context-based water targets, aligned with local water availability as a driver for investments. Industry requires a proper accounting framework to set targets. Their connection with investors is based on a growing number of pilot projects ready for wider implementation of technologies offering resource recovery. An important message from industry around the circular economy is that it needs to be supported by wider planning to promote industrial symbiosis.
The ILF will put the following discussion points to the central agenda:
- Financing improvement of water resources – water projects to market
- Accounting framework(s) to set sustainable targets with positive financial impact
- Resilience and mitigation of supply chain interruptions to reduce risks
- Local water availability as a driver for investments
- Preventing pollution pressure and smart water allocation
Location: Amsterdam RAI Room: E105
Industry Leaders Forum 2019: local water availability for long term investment
The Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) will focus on the importance of regional and local perspectives to guide context-based water targets, aligned with local water availability as a driver for investments. Industry requires a proper accounting framework to set targets. Their connection with investors is based on a growing number of pilot projects ready for wider implementation of technologies offering resource recovery. An important message from industry around the circular economy is that it needs to be supported by wider planning to promote industrial symbiosis.
The ILF will put the following discussion points to the central agenda:
- Financing improvement of water resources – water projects to market
- Accounting framework(s) to set sustainable targets with positive financial impact
- Resilience and mitigation of supply chain interruptions to reduce risks
- Local water availability as a driver for investments
- Preventing pollution pressure and smart water allocation
Subsession
ILF table 2: Framework(s) to act on sustainable targets with positive impact
Contextual approach to a specific watershed. Many water consuming industries are developing individual targets for production plants in water-stressed areas and prioritizing the most relevant actions for each local watershed.
ILF table 3: Resilience and mitigation of supply chain interruptions to reduce risks
Water is a vital aspect in the supply chain, but at the same time, floods and droughts can be disruptive. To mitigate supply chain interruptions caused by severe weather, industries must take steps to increase their resilience. This means getting insight in all key suppliers where they are based and what vulnerabilities they may have. Digital trends offer opportunities for analyses, fore-casting and minimizing these risks. The aim of this roundtable is to provide an overview of the current state of digital solutions, the value of potential solutions, and the lessons learned from industries on their digital journey.
ILF table 4: Local water availability as a driver for investments. Water scarcity risks for industry and investors.
Worsening droughts and polluted water sources call for improved planning and decision-making processes, better coordination and sustainable use of resources while minimizing conflicts among users. Companies are starting to develop more and more projects to reduce the impact of water scarcity, whether it is at their own production location or at the level of the basin. Investors are also increasingly recognizing the impact of water scarcity on operational and transitional risks. We need to recognize patterns of success in best practice cases to gain traction for financing projects and solutions.
ILF table 1: Financing improvement of water resources – water projects to market
Focusing on lowering water usage of industries will not be enough in the near future. To keep a watershed healthy and communities thriving, users of a watershed should focus more on replenishing the water they use. Investments are needed in activities like reforestation, landscape restoration, desalination and water capture and by working closely with other water users in the protection of this shared asset. This session will focus on what is needed for financial close in early stage of water sustainability projects and ways to bring water projects to market.
ILF table 5: Preventing pollution pressure and smart water allocation
Water alliances in which government, businesses, NGOs and local community groups work together on water conservation and pollution reduction in the river basins. Many industries like agriculture suppliers to food & beverage companies or processing in the textile supply chain is putting pressure on global freshwater reserves and the water quality of many important rivers and reservoirs. The sustainability of water resources is becoming a key challenge for the growth and long-term survival of the textile sector in many countries. This session will focus on the effect of sector covenants, ecological balance sheet innovation, compliance matters, food security & water productivity.