How to create a water-smart corporate culture

Water is an essential resource that every business depends on, yet it’s often overlooked in daily operations. With growing pressures on global water supplies, building a water-smart corporate culture is no longer just an environmental concern — it’s a critical business strategy.

The shift towards water-smart practices

As McKinsey reports, with current water systems, two-thirds of businesses already have substantial risks (physical, regulatory, reputational or stakeholder) in their operations or value chain. Forward-thinking companies are recognising the need to go beyond basic compliance. Water stewardship is now seen as a strategic imperative that affects everything from supply chain resilience to corporate social responsibility. 

To create a water-smart culture, companies need to shift their mindset from viewing water as only a utility to recognising it as a strategic asset. This involves embedding water management into every aspect of the business, from daily operations to long-term planning.

Creating a water-smart culture in your organisation

Building a water-smart culture requires strategic actions across all levels. Start with these best practices to set your organisation on the right path:

Set the tone with leadership: When executives prioritise water stewardship, it signals to the entire organisation that water management is a critical component of business strategy. This top-down commitment is essential for driving change and ensuring that water-smart practices are adopted across all levels of the company.

Educate and engage employees: The foundation of a water-smart culture is employee awareness. Provide training and resources that educate your team about the importance of water conservation and the role they can play in achieving corporate water goals. Engagement campaigns, workshops and company-wide initiatives can help instil a sense of responsibility and ownership over water management.

For Aldar Academies, this approach extends beyond its teaching and administrative staff, actively involving students in water conservation efforts. The schools organise beach clean-up campaigns and host educational sessions about the atmospheric water generators and dispensers on campus, empowering students with knowledge about sustainable water practices and encouraging them to become advocates both in school and in their wider communities.

Incorporate water stewardship into daily operations: Identify areas where water use can be reduced, recycled or optimised. Conduct water audits to pinpoint inefficiencies and set measurable goals for improvement. For example, Accor Group studied its global water footprint in 2019 and found that direct and indirect operations (onsite production or withdrawals) accounted for 40% of its water footprint, with 60% attributed to upstream activities (i.e., purchases for food and beverage activities). With this data at hand, Accor has committed to reducing its collective and local impact on water across its full value chain by 2030.

Promote innovation and technology: Embracing innovative technologies can significantly enhance a company’s water efficiency. For example, Jotun UAE implemented sensor technology, equipped taps with aerators, repaired leaks with effective management systems and processes water in an effluent treatment plant.

According to Sachin S Shetty, Jotun’s HSE Manager, since 2017 the company has treated roughly seven million litres of water to reuse back in its production processes. It also aims to replace 78,000 plastic water dispensers with atmospheric water dispensers to eliminate plastic water bottles and create a renewable, in-office water supply.

Engage with the community and stakeholders: Water-smart companies understand that water stewardship extends beyond the confines of the corporate office. Engage with local communities, governments and nonprofits to collaborate on water conservation initiatives. Building strong relationships with external stakeholders can enhance a company’s reputation and contribute to broader water sustainability efforts.

Measure, report and celebrate progress: Regularly tracking and reporting on water-related metrics is essential for maintaining momentum and accountability. Transparency in water usage data, whether via a global disclosure framework such as CDP or via corporate ESG reports, can build trust with stakeholders and demonstrate the company’s commitment to sustainability. Celebrate milestones and successes to keep employees motivated and engaged in the journey toward a water-smart culture.

Building a water-smart future

Creating a water-smart corporate culture isn’t just about sustainability — it’s a strategic move that drives long-term success, reducing environmental impacts, enhancing efficiency and building stronger, more resilient relationships with communities and stakeholders. 

If you’re looking to build a water-smart culture in your organisation, explore our air-to-water technology solutions or reach out to our team and one of our experts will be in touch.