It is becoming increasingly recognised that human activity is having a negative impact on freshwater systems and that the structure of the global economy is closely linked to local water depletion and pollution. Assessing the environmental impact of water consumption is becoming more prevalent. There is now a standard that supplies ‘principles, requirements and guidelines’ for water footprint assessment and reporting; ISO 14046.
As with carbon foot print assessment, calculating a water footprint is scalable and can be calculated on a corporate, product or personal level.
A water footprint accounts for the total water used, either directly or indirectly, by an orgainisation, in the production of a product, or by an individual in achieving their goals. The operational water footprint refers to the direct water consumption that can be connected with day to day company operations and the supply chain footprint refers to the indirect water consumption that can be attributed to the supply chain, both up and down stream. Just like a life cycle approach to other impact assessments, the impact must be considered throughout the lifecycle e.g. what is the water footprint during the use phase or at end of life?
Water impact is measured by considering the volume of water both consumed and polluted by an activity. Time and geographical location are parameters used in water footprinting. The impact of water use can be partly determined by location and availability. Time is considered both in terms of measuring the quantity of water used over a time period as well as when it is used; water availability may vary at different points in time in certain locations. Organisation benefits of water footprint assessment include:
- Increased resource efficiency and cost reduction throughout the supply chain.
- Demonstrable environmental performance management and corporate responsibility.
- Water footprint risk identification and mitigation strategy development.
- Enhanced environmental communication, both internal and external, though the use of robust information.
- Understanding the direct and indirect water consumption of a product or a business.
- Reduced environmental impact through water footprint optimization.
Giraffe offer a flexible, scalable water footprint assessment service that consider different size organisations, products or even individuals. This can be a standalone study or part of a broader footprinting or Life Cycle Assessment exercise.