Consumer brands giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced today the launch of a new water-focused sustainability strategy, including new targets to restore more water than consumed during the manufacturing and use of its products in high water-stressed areas.

According to P&G, by 2025, about two-thirds of people on the planet will live in water-stressed areas. Additionally, the company determined that roughly 9%-17% of water is consumed during the use of P&G products in priority basins through evaporation or common household leaks. 

Jon Moeller, P&G President and Chief Executive Officer, said:

“Water is one of the world’s most critical natural resources, and something too many often take for granted. For years we have been focused on reducing water use in our operations and innovating to help consumers use less water in the home, but there is much more we can all do.”

The company aims restore more water than is consumed at its manufacturing sites in 18 water-stressed areas worldwide, as well as when using P&G products in the water-stressed metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and Mexico city by 2030, which account for over half of the total use-of-product water consumption across the18 priority areas.

To achieve its new targets, P&G announced six new water restoration projects throughout the Bear River Basin in Utah and Idaho, aimed at protecting ecosystems, replenishing groundwater supplies, reducing the water diverted from essential bodies of water and improving water quality. According to P&G, these projects, together with other projects supported by the company, are expected to restore billions of liters of water by 2030.

Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer, said:

“Creating a ripple effect toward a water positive future requires widespread solutions – from manufacturing and product innovations that improve consumers’ lives in a sustainable way, to restoring water for nature, wildlife, and communities,” said “While there will always be more to learn, P&G is dedicated to doing our part to care for our planet, our shared home.”

Looking forward, the company stated that it plans to work with new and existing partners on more water restoration projects that bring long-term benefits in other priority water-stressed areas worldwide.