In This Issue
Editor's Note
True Blue: Clean Water, Clean Jeans, Clean Business
In honor of World Water Week (happening now in Stockholm), we're devoting this edition of the Insight to that precious liquid that's best clear and clean.
First up, a dispatch from the CEO Water Mandate's Gavin Power, who explains why the project’s current focus is on public-private partnerships and transparency (to wit, the mandate is now requiring signatories to publicly report on direct operations, supply chain and watershed management, and four other core areas).
We also have a brief report on new resources from World Water Week itself.
And we take you behind the label for Gap Inc.'s new "Clean Water Wash" jeans to shine a spotlight on the denim company's work with BSR’s Sustainable Water Group.
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In Depth
Responsible Engagement on Water Policy
By Gavin Power, Deputy Director, UN Global Compact
This week, the CEO Water Mandate convenes its fourth working conference in Stockholm as part of World Water Week. Here, the UN Global Compact's Gavin Power provides a guest perspective on why the mandate is focusing on transparency and public-private partnerships.
Read more →
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Spotlight
Behind Gap’s New Label
By
As a member of BSR's Sustainable Water Group (SWG), Gap Inc. has spent the last five years creating and evolving its Clean Water Program for its denim laundries worldwide. Last week, the company’s Gap brand launched its new denim collection—1969 Premium Jeans—which, for the first time, features a "Clean Water Wash" label indicating that the water used to wash and dye the jeans was treated to meet safety and quality standards before leaving the denim laundry.
By using the SWG wastewater-quality guidelines to confirm that the wastewater discharge from its contract factories meets SWG standards, Gap Inc. can credibly communicate the environmental impacts of its denim laundries to stakeholders who are concerned about these issues. As recent news reports indicate, ensuring clean water use throughout supply chains can be challenging, and we hope these activities help improve conditions across the apparel industry and in the countries in which the industry operates.
More information about Gap Inc.'s efforts can be found on its new social responsibility website at www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility.
Toolbox
New Resources from World Water Week
This year's World Water Week—taking place right now in Stockholm—has brought forth many useful resources related to the event's theme, "Responding to Global Changes: Accessing Water for the Common Good." Described below are three of the best.
- The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency's "Getting Transboundary Water Right: Theory and Practice for Effective Cooperation" makes a strong case for cooperation and collaboration in managing transboundary water issues.
- The World Business Council for Sustainable Development's (WBCSD) Global Water Tool—first launched in 2007 and updated for the 2009 World Water Forum in Istanbul—is a free resource that helps companies map their water use and assess water-related risks relative to their supply chains.
- Tomorrow (August 19), the WBCSD will be launching “Water for Business: Initiatives Guiding Sustainable Water Management in the Private Sector.” This report will map what businesses are doing on sustainable water use around the world.
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