Nestlé Commits $130 Million to Positive Water Impact Goal
Global food and beverage company Nestlé’s bottled water division Nestlé Waters announced today a series of initiatives aimed at generating a positive water impact at its sites around the world, aiming to help retain more water than it uses in its operations by 2025.
As part of its new target, Nestlé will invest $130 million in more than 100 new projects at its 48 sites to support better water management and infrastructure. Examples of the projects include river restoration and renaturation projects at the company’s Vittel site in Vosges, France, and the delivery of of water treatment, filtration and pipeline infrastructure for the municipal water supply in Benha, Egypt.
Muriel Lienau, Head of the Waters Business, said:
“Today, we are accelerating or journey to support the regeneration of local water cycles and are challenging ourselves to take bold new steps. We want to play an active role in helping to conserve water resources everywhere we operate. To do so, we will work with many partners to develop tailored projects that help find local solutions.”
According to the company, the projects will be evaluated by the World Resources Institute’s Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) methodology. A newly created external panel will use this methodology to review the impact and sustainability of the projects. To ensure full transparency, Nestlé Waters will also provide information on the water consumption at its sites and how the new projects contribute to the areas.
Cédric Egger, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé Waters, added:
“As a business with a long heritage of nature protection and water stewardship, we want to go beyond the conservation of water sources to help regenerate and restore water cycles in the areas where we operate. We know the water challenge is global, but it can only be tackled through local solutions. Now is the time to expand the scope of our actions. With Nestlé’s presence around the world, we can learn from our many partners and contribute to solving the water challenges in the locations near our operations.”