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In This Issue
Editor's Note
The Water Debate: It’s About People
As BSR's Linda Hwang and Julia Nelson complete the first phase of a community-engagement project with Nestlé Waters North America, it's a good opportunity for us to focus on companies' impacts on water—a complicated resource for business to manage in part because water is a public good.
Our case study on Nestlé Waters reveals challenges any company managing water use is likely to face: community dynamics, regulatory processes, and varied public expectations on what constitutes responsible use of water.
From North America, we take you to China, where BSR Environmental Manager Laura Ediger recently participated in a discussion on reducing water pollution in the Yangtze River Delta. She reports on opportunities for companies to address water pollution through their supply chains in China and beyond.
Finally, we provide an overview of a recent UN report on indigenous peoples, which touches not only on the issue of water, but also on self-determination and environmental issues more broadly.
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In Depth
A Commitment to Communities: Case Study of Nestlé Waters North America’s Water-Siting Plan
By
As the United States' largest producer of bottled spring water, Nestle Waters North America is entering a new era of community engagement—with a new set of challenges related to community dynamics, governance, and sometimes conflicting definitions of responsibility. This is the first case study about BSR’s work with the company.
Read more →
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Spotlight
Reducing Water Pollution in China and Beyond
At a recent Nanjing University workshop on how to reduce water pollution in China's Yangtze River Delta, BSR joined researchers, NGOs, and government to provide insights on what business can do to address water pollution in their supply chains. There are several opportunities:
- Participate in community roundtables to learn about the concerns of local residents.
- Engage in direct dialogue with government to promote mutual understanding.
- Learn about water-pollution-trading schemes, which are testing the potential for market-based mechanisms for pollution reduction.
- Understand how demands for increased disclosure may affect business, such as those supported by the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs, which uses the Chinese legal system.
For more information on water pollution reduction, as well as how you can get involved in the Lake Tai network, contact Laura Ediger.
Toolbox
State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
According to a UN report, the world's 370 million indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately (and often exponentially) higher rates of poverty, health problems, crime, and human rights abuses. This report illuminates several key themes that could be relevant to companies whose operations may affect indigenous communities:
- Self-determination: Indigenous peoples’ rights include rights to their land and the freedom to determine their own definitions and indicators for economic development and well-being.
- Environmental issues: For indigenous peoples, environmental challenges are exacerbated by their spiritual, cultural, social, and economic connections with the land, as well as their tradition of collective land rights.
- Decision-making processes: Government and business should ensure that indigenous peoples and their concerns are considered when addressing issues such as conservation, globalization, migration, and urbanization.
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