Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages (NW&PB) has achieved an industry leading milestone in global water stewardship, becoming the first food or beverage company worldwide to secure 100 per cent certification of all its 39 bottling sites to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. Two sites – Buxton, UK and Tunuyan, Argentina, achieved Platinum certification, the highest level available.

Adrian Sym, Chief Executive of the Alliance for Water Stewardship, commented:

“In an era of increasing resource volatility, where individuals and organisations are passionate about making a difference but don’t always know how, a global independent standard that includes an accessible, independent and practical framework for water stewardship and landscape protection is essential.

“Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages' approach to collaborative, localised, context-based solutions, tailored to each bottling site is exemplary. It’s fantastic to see a large global company approaching this bottom-up all over the world, rather than top-down or by taking a mass rebalance approach to offset water usage. In fact, NW&PB has provided invaluable learnings for driving scaled impact and is an important ally in helping us deliver on our mission to ignite and nurture water stewardship globally.”

The achievement is a first in the beverage sector - beyond this certification, the company has also confirmed strong progress on local collaborative action, with 70 water regeneration projects delivering 14.1 million m3 of water per year.

Announcing the achievement, NW&PB said that as water stress and extreme weather put growing pressure on rivers, aquifers and communities, effective water stewardship increasingly depends on action beyond a factory fence line.

By working with local partners in the watersheds where it operates, the company is working to help strengthen long-term water resilience for people, nature, and business continuity.

AWS Standard achievement

Photo: Buxton UK factory site

The AWS Standard – which is the only globally-recognised independent framework for water stewardship – is a cornerstone of NW&PB’s core commitment to collective water resilience and sustainable water management, guiding how the business cares for water in its factories, within watersheds and in communities. The landmark accomplishment will continue annually and is the result of years of dedicated effort across its global operations, covering Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Asia.

Water Regeneration at local level

The achievement is a first in the beverage sector - beyond this certification, the company has also confirmed strong progress on local collaborative action, with 70 water regeneration projects implemented in its sites globally, delivering 14.1 million m3 of water per year.

All of the water regeneration projects are implemented in close collaboration with local partners to answer shared water challenges, creating resilience for people, nature, and the business.

Measurable using the World Resources Institute's Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting methodology, this provides consistency in analysing water management activities and helps ensure that such activities address current and future shared water needs and issues. As they mature to their full potential, they will help deliver more water locally than the company uses in its operations.

Investing in the future

The business has invested significantly into two lighthouse markets developing major collective action programmes involving key public and private sector stakeholders:

• France: Agrivair Garrigue is a €25 million, five-year initiative that aims to protect vital water resources and enhance biodiversity in the Gard region (home of the Perrier and Maison Perrier brands) through sustainable agricultural practices, habitat restoration, and water-quality improvements across the catchment.
• Italy: Building on a five year, €30 million investment in projects to protect water basins, safeguard biodiversity and support local communities at the catchments for the S.Pellegrino, Sanpellegrino, Acqua Panna and Levissima brands, F.O.N.T.E (Future, Origin, Nature, Territories, Ecosystems) will see a further €40 million invested through to 2030 to strengthen and expand these environmental and social initiatives.

Muriel Lienau, CEO of Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages said:

“Good water stewardship is part of our DNA and strong water resilience is a strategic imperative for our business – that’s why we look to collaborate everywhere we operate to ensure we address any shared water challenges, now and for the future. This is something we’ve been working on for decades.

“We remain committed to protect, restore and return water where we operate. Water resilience has a growing awareness on the international agenda and we know no one can achieve this on their own. By partnering with experts, local organisations and communities we know that collaboration at catchment level is the key for meaningful impact.”

Extending strategic partnerships

Further advancing its strategic focus on water resilience for both quantity and quality, NW&PB is announcing the extension of its engagement with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This follows three successful years of collaboration, with IUCN providing strategic and science-based advice, including helping to align project execution with the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions.

Looking forward, Nestlé said it will continue to work with AWS and IUCN to ensure ongoing improvement and scaling to further collective action for the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems and strategic catchments.

James Dalton, Global Director for Water and Wetlands at IUCN, commented:

“Integrated action and decision-making on water, biodiversity and climate is essential for long-term business resilience. NW&PB’s water stewardship journey is a testament to this. As IUCN and NW&PB pivot towards this new phase of engagement, we will place emphasis on consolidating and expanding the positive impact of existing water regeneration projects on nature and driving collective action to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems in strategic catchments.”

Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages is a standalone, globally managed business within the Nestlé Group - The company serves consumers in more than 100 markets with a portfolio of more than 35 brands.