In debates that highlighted the importance of partnerships, technological innovation and the engagement of companies in causes aimed at promoting better water use and security, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), launched this Tuesday (27) the aquasphere, a hub to bring together the main references in water treatment. “The objective is not only to present to society what companies have been doing to reduce waste, properly allocate liquid waste and promote better use of water in their manufacturing processes. Aquasfera also intends to concentrate these companies' experiences so that they can directly influence the industrial management of others”, said the director of Institutional Development at CEBDS, Ana Carolina Szklo.
She highlighted that this hub is a continuation of a series of projects developed by CEBDS over the past two years to promote water efficiency in companies. The main one is the Brazilian Business Commitment for Water Security, signed during the World Water Forum in March by 22 companies associated with CEBDS. Aquasfera was launched during Water and Business, an event promoted by CEBDS in partnership with the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Global Compact Network Brazil, during Rio Water Week, which runs until Wednesday (28) in Rio. The event brought together representatives from Ambev, Coca-Cola, Braskem, Nestlé, Philip Morris, Ecolab, BRK Ambiental, among other companies and institutions to discuss water efficiency.
Tom Williams, director of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which is represented in Brazil by CEBDS, highlighted the importance of the Aquasfera initiative, which brings together companies’ initiatives to meet six goals established in the Business Commitment by 2025. According to him, the idea is to bring together more and more companies in the coming years and take the initiative to be replicated at the next World Water Forum in 2021, in Senegal. “There are several isolated initiatives by companies around the world that aim to publicize initiatives in favor of water efficiency, and that is very good. Even more important is to have a space that can bring them all together,” he emphasized in the main plenary session of Rio Water Week.
“Water management will only be successful if it is done collaboratively,” said Filipe Barolo, from Ambev. “As long as people think that water is a cheap commodity, we will not change our status.” Alongside representatives from Nestlé and Coca-Cola, he advocated for companies to come together, regardless of market competition, in favor of more efficient initiatives in water management.
“To what extent are companies willing to give up part of their profits in order to generate benefits for the planet, with good water management in their industrial processes”, provoked Manuella Curti, president of the European Water Purifiers Group, highlighting that the company reworked its business logic to embrace the cause of water efficiency and generate business from there. He highlighted that in this way the company began to work, for example, in event hydration. “With each event like this we can save five more plastic cups. In a way, we are already promoting a cause for the planet,” he said.
