Progress report for
Credible, verified private sector action on SDG6.
Achievement at a glance
AWS is a global membership collaboration that includes businesses, NGOs, and the public sector. Our members contribute to the sustainability of local water resources through their adoption and promotion of a universal framework for the sustainable use of water – the International Water Stewardship Standard, or AWS Standard – that drives, recognises and rewards good water stewardship performance. AWS prioritises five business sectors including (but not limited to): Agriculture, Food and Beverage, Textiles and Apparel, Microelectronics, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals and Personal Care. At the end of 2023, there were 172 member organisations within the AWS network.Challenges faced in implementation
AWS is not a project but rather an environmental standard and a global network with a broad base of stakeholders. A key implementation challenge includes public sector recognition for sustainable water stewardship practices and embedding these actions in the local water management system. The public sector is a critical stakeholder in scaling up water stewardship and remains a key relationship the water stewardship community would like to improve on in our implementation processes.Next Steps
AWS is currently engaged in a new initiative called the AWS Impact Accelerator, which supports multiple companies working in the same site and catchment to jumpstart water stewardship action with capacity support initiatives. The AWS Impact Accelerator combines training, awareness and collecting credible water-related data to help inform a common understanding of shared water challenges and risks within a given catchment. Multiple companies are encouraged to apply this information in their water stewardship plans. Participating sites' feedback indicates that they find the programme useful and valuable. AWS Impact Accelerator programmes are currently active in Bangladesh, China, Spain, India, with further accelerators being explored globally.Number of Sites that have participated in the AWS Impact Accelerator: 62
https://a4ws.org/impact-accelerator/
Beneficiaries
Civil society, public sector and ecosystems in the catchments where water stewardship by private sector implementers of the AWS Standard is enacted.
Actions
AWS continues to implement different projects and programs annually, developing resources and advocating for the uptake of water stewardship in national and global processes. Some of the actions completed in 2023 include the following:Published Reports and Resources:
1. Tackling Pollution from the Apparel Sector: Water Stewardship with Ethiopian Cotton Farmers
2. Water Stewardship: Understanding the Agricultural Landscape in Spain
3. La Custodia del Agua: El Panorama Agrícola Español
4. Water Stewardship: A resource for the textiles and apparel sector
5. Water Stewardship: A Briefing for the ICT & Microelectronics Sector – Chinese
6. Water Risk in the ICT Sector: The Case for Action – Chinese
7. Water Strategy in the ICT Sector: Steps to start your Water Stewardship Journey – Chinese
8. Water Stewardship: A Briefing for the ICT & Microelectronics Sector – Japanese
9. Water Risk in the ICT Sector: The Case for Action – Japanese
10. Water Strategy in the ICT Sector: Steps to start your Water Stewardship Journey – Japanese
AWS Working Groups: AWS Working Groups allow organisations to collaborate with other business leaders, NGOs and regional experts to gain a deeper understanding of the water challenges faced by their sector and beyond, and to set the agenda for water stewardship. These are valuable spaces for peers to share their experiences using the AWS Standard, to ask questions, and for experts in the field to present their research and findings.
Number of Organisations that have participated in AWS Sector Working Groups: 87 organisations took part in 12 AWS Working Group meetings. https://a4ws.org/priority-sectors/aws-working-groups/
AWS Global Forum 2023: AWS hosted its annual Global Water Stewardship Forum in Edinburgh on 16-17 May 2023. The Forum hosted over 175 delegates, representing over 100 organisations who all share an interest in good water stewardship.
https://a4ws.org/download/aws-global-water-stewardship-forum-2023-overview-report/
AWS Standard System Training: Feedback from trainees showed that the course contributed significantly to addressing water-related risks at the site and catchment level one year later. Over 75% of the trainees used the AWS Standard and guidance to implement water stewardship. Number of Individuals trained in the AWS Standard System Training: 581
https://a4ws.org/training/
For more information, read AWS’s full 2023 Performance Monitoring Report: https://a4ws.org/download/aws-performance-monitoring-report-2023/