CDP Water Disclosure
The Case for Water Disclosure
Report written for
Carbon Disclosure Project by:
Carbon Disclosure Project
info@cdproject.net
+44 (0) 20 7970 5660
www.cdproject.net
November 2009
CDP Water Disclosure Pilot 2009
1
Introduction
1
2 Executive Summary
2
3 Why Water?
5
4 What Needs to
be Measured?
7
5 Why Water
Disclosure?
9
6 CDP Water
Disclosure Pilot
13
7 What Needs to be
Done Now?
15
8
Launching CDP
Water Disclosure
17
9 Conclusions
19
10 Appendix I
Pilot Questionnaire
& Summary Results
20
11 Appendix II
Associated Bodies
& Related Readings
26
Contents
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
is an independent not-for-profit
organization that holds the largest
database of corporate climate change
information in the world, gathered
on behalf of institutional investors,
purchasing organizations and
government bodies. CDP’s mission
is to collect and distribute high quality
information that motivates investors,
corporations and governments to
take action to prevent dangerous
climate change.
CDP was founded in 2000 and
has grown rapidly as investor and
corporate awareness of the risks
and opportunities of climate change
has developed. In 2009 CDP issued
an information request to over 3,700
of the world’s largest publicly quoted
companies on behalf of 475 investors
with assets under management of
over $55 trillion.
In 2007, CDP extended its work by
launching CDP Supply Chain, helping
large organizations engage with their
suppliers to generate and use high
quality information on the implications
of climate change to their supply
chains. Several of the member
companies asked CDP to help them
engage with suppliers on issues related
to water. Recognising the importance
of water-related issues, both as a
critical part of the wider climate change
challenge and as a stand-alone issue,
CDP carried out a water disclosure
pilot in 2008 (the Pilot).
It is easy to imagine that water is
cheap and plentiful. In reality, its
availability depends on a range
of environmental, social and economic
factors