Corporate water stewardship: ensuring companies have a fair water footprint

Water is a hugely strategic resource for most companies and its increasing scarcity creates significant business risk.

To manage this risk, many companies adopt water stewardship strategies – including consulting with communities in their supply chains – especially around water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues. But few consider the differentiated impacts of their water use on marginalised groups.

This briefing outlines why companies should apply a gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) lens to their water stewardship practices and, drawing on a case study from leading beverage producer Diageo, offers practical tips on how companies can embed GEDSI principles in community engagement around shared water use.