“With water shortages and floods becoming increasingly common around the world – Electrolux says -, we are promoting responsible water management throughout our value chain and encouraging other companies to do the same”. As part of its participation in World Water Week 2021, Electrolux published a joint statement together with WWF and Swedish multinational companies to encourage global action on water-related issues. The statement is in response to the worsening global water crisis that has made headlines around the world this year with serious water shortages and floods. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) recent climate report also highlights how human emissions are causing increasingly severe water-related issues. The statement calls for other companies to join in taking the following three steps: Raise awareness (use the WWF Water Risk Filter to analyze the water risks throughout their value chain. This includes focusing on local conditions and how they may be affected by future climate scenarios), Act (set targets and develop a strategy for more responsible water use throughout the value chain. Water targets should be science-based and adapted to local conditions to optimize a company’s resource use), Collaborate (partner with a wide range of stakeholders is essential, including investors and decision makers in other companies. Collaboration is particularly important in geographic risk areas where responsible water use initiatives will be increasingly required for successful business). “We have followed these three steps to promote efficient water use – both in our operations and our products – for several years – Electrolux commented -. Our work with water efficiency in manufacturing is driven by our long-term collaboration with the WWF and has been guided by the WWF Water Risk Filter since 2014. We also work closely with internal stakeholders through the Electrolux Green Spirt program, which involves sharing water management best practice, monthly reporting on water performance indicators as well as conducting water mapping. Many of our plants recycle process water and some are already closed loop in terms of reusing process water, and we are currently investigating opportunities in several other facilities. We also use harvested rainwater in manufacturing processes, such as in Thailand, Brazil and Australia”.
