2021年11月26日，日内瓦 – Today, the 正规博彩十大网站 (WBCSD) released the guidance on the assessment of freshwater impacts by food and agriculture sector companies to help companies account for and value their impacts on society and the environment related to freshwater.
与…合作开发 食物SIVI, and eight other organizations that form a multi-stakeholder Working Group, the guidance provides a standardized approach for companies in the food and agriculture sector to understand, measure and value their key freshwater-related impacts such as their impacts on human health and biodiversity. The new tool will help companies better manage their impacts and support them on the transition towards a net-zero, 自然的积极, 以及让90多亿人过上好日子的公平未来, 在地球范围内, by 2050.
Freshwater is a major area of impact of the food and agriculture system with the sector consuming and polluting 70% of all freshwater globally. Businesses in the sector create impacts through freshwater such as deterioration of human health due to polluted drinking water and user conflicts due to competing water demands. Businesses require practical tools to assess and value these impacts. Impact assessment and valuation is part of enterprise risk management and disclosure, and helps companies understand their risks and opportunities, 比较选项并制定管理解决方案.
The multi-stakeholder Working Group that led the development of the guidance included representatives from Ceres, 克兰菲尔德水科学研究所, 国际农业研究磋商组织水资源研究计划, 土地与生态系统, 联合国粮食及农业组织, 食物SIVI, Helvetas, Natems, Stockholm International 水 Institute (SIVI) and Valuing 水 Initiative.
The guidance provides a 5-step process for companies to account for and value their freshwater related impacts, and a high-level impact pathway that can be customized to the company operations and scope. The guidance also provides case studies from leading food and agriculture companies, 例如WBCSD成员达能和奥兰, 描述他们的主要动机, 方法, 挑战, and learnings from conducting freshwater-related impact accounting exercises.
“The new guidance for freshwater accounting by food and agriculture companies is a major addition to WBCSD’s 食物的真正价值 work. It addresses freshwater as a major impact area of the sector and provides detailed guidance to companies to understand and value it. This will be a useful tool for companies as they navigate the complexity associated with accounting for their freshwater related impacts and reporting on them. It prepares companies to take action towards net zero, 自然的积极 and equitable future.” Tom Williams, Director for 自然的行动 and 水 at WBCSD.
Ria Bakshi, Lead – Finance for Sustainability at Olam 食物 Ingredients “在奥兰, we conducted freshwater impact accounting as part of our non-financial capital accounting exercise to help us better understand our risks and prepare for future reporting requirements on non-financial capital. We believe standardization of accounting frameworks done by WBCSD's guidance for freshwater accounting by food and agriculture companies will deliver long-term value in terms of advancing industry action for impact evaluation and management. It will also bring attention to the need for better and localized data and valuation factors that can limit such analyses".
该指南建立在该领域现有工作的基础上, including the Natural Capital Protocol and the Science Based targets for 自然 - freshwater initiative. It can be applied in combination with the other existing initiatives or frameworks.
