Water Sustainability: Meeting the Challenge - a comparative analysis of water consumption in the food processing and beverage industries

A comparative analysis of the water consumption policies and performance of 15 leading British and Irish food and drinks companies.

Key issues and findings:

• Water shortages resulting from rising demand, pollution and climate change are a key environmental challenge, a global justice issue and in some parts of the world a cause of conflict.
• Water-thirsty industries have a responsibility to manage their water use accountably and sustainably.
• The food and drinks sector is among the heaviest water users, especially when agricultural supply chains, often involving irrigation, are taken into account.
• Major food and drinks processing companies have much to do before they can claim to be operating sustainably in terms of water consumption.
• At the time of the research (2007-8) only three companies - Diageo, SAB Miller and Unilever - showed signs of adequately addressing the need to monitor, report on and reduce their water footprint.
• Recommended sector-wide improvements include identifying water stress and local impacts of water use; taking more responsibility for water consumption in the supply chain; consulting with local communities; enhancing accountability through reporting and disclosure; and making environmental performance a factor in senior executive pay.

Companies in the survey: Associated British Foods, Britvic, C&C Group, Cadbury Schweppes, Dairy Crest, Diageo, Glanbia, IAWS, Kerry Group, Northern Foods, Premier Foods, SAB Miller, Scottish & Newcastle, Tate & Lyle, Unilever. All were FTSE 350 or ISEQ (Dublin) listed when research began in 2007.

Published May 2008. Hard copy: ECCR members - £5 / €6 / $8. Non-members - £12 / €13 /  $18. [Order form].

Executive summary (pdf).

Download a copy of the full report (pdf).