{"id":15631,"date":"2025-06-13T11:27:42","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueark.ch\/?post_type=nomination&p=15603"},"modified":"2025-06-16T05:39:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T03:39:56","slug":"essential-guide-water-positive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueark.ch\/de\/essential-guide-water-positive\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Guide: Water Positive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Essential Guide will explore Water Positive (sometimes referred to as Water Positivity): the concept; its history; what it means in the present day. Through conversations with Alejandro Sturniolo, head of sustainability strategy at Aqua Positive and secretary general of the Water Positive Think Tank, and Alexis Morgan, global water stewardship lead at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the guide will explore the problems it aims to solve, what the future holds, and why some urge caution around the term.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what is Water Positive?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In answer to the question: What is Water Positive, Sturniolo, told Aquatech Online: \u201cWater positivity is not a metric; it’s a mindset. It means going beyond reducing water use to actively restoring and regenerating water systems. It’s about giving back more than we take.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cIn short, it’s the shift from „do less harm“ to „do net good“ with water as the leading indicator of resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Sturniolo, Water Positivity means rethinking water, moving away from seeing it as a \u2018cost\u2019 to understanding it as a source of value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cIt is a strategy where companies generate more water than they consume by restoring natural cycles, improving access to safe water and sanitation, and strengthening community health and ecosystem resilience.\u201d
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Water positivity is not a metric; it’s a mindset<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), however, has urged caution over the term Water Positive and the associated Net Positive Water. One of the reasons, as Morgan explains, is that there is no singular definition of what it is, or what it means. He told Aquatech Online: \u201cIt is a rather open term, which can be understood (or misunderstood) by anyone. Not unlike \u2018sustainability\u2019, it can be both useful and harmful (sometimes even at the same time).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that, generally, it tends to fall into two categories: Water positivity as a vision (a very general aim); and Water positivity as a target (a specific metric-based approach to go beyond \u2018water neutral\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water positive or water stewardship, what’s the difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the difference between water stewardship and water positive? The terms might at first seem confusing, and there is overlap between them. Often, they are entirely linked, sometimes used interchangeably, and the outcomes of both are deemed beneficial to both company\/corporation and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alliance for Water Stewardship defines water stewardship as \u2018the use of water that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive process that includes both site- and catchment-based actions\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goals of water stewardship<\/a> are often seen in the work of corporations in watersheds and catchments, engaging with local stakeholders, including community groups to improve environmental conditions in areas where those companies are large users of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water positive on the other hand refers to a company\u2019s attempts to return more water than it takes in the location in which it operates. As such, it is sometimes seen as one part of the wider stewardship approach. But water positive is more than simply a volume or number, it has also become a movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where did the water positive movement come from?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The water positive movement first emerged in the construction industry in the 2000s. According to the Water Positive website, it emerged as the response to minimizing the use of freshwater through rainwater harvesting, forming part of the definition \u2018zero impact buildings\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spreading to other industries, it became analogous to the more widely used \u2018carbon neutral\u2019 movement. The idea of managing water to achieve a net positive impact, i.e. give back more than you take from the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other key drivers behind the water positivity movement are the UN Sustainable Development goals<\/a>, established in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sturniolo explained: \u201cApproximately 90 per cent of water use is embedded in the production and consumption of goods, directly linking water to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production<\/strong>. This goal is about ensuring sustainable patterns of resource use.\u201d
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Water Positive turns responsible consumption into measurable progress toward global water security <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


He added: \u201cWater Positive acts as a bridge between SDG 12 and SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation<\/strong><\/a>, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water for all. By aligning these two goals, Water Positive turns responsible consumption into measurable progress toward global water security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN goals echo the growing social awareness of the need to conserve freshwater supplies with many countries around the world facing ongoing drought conditions, stress and scarcity, and severe climate events. This has led many corporations big and small to reconsider water use and the environmental impact of their operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies such as Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and global beverage giants, such as Diageo and PepsiCo, and more, began to include water in their sustainability goals, and many set ambitious water-related targets, such as replenishment and reuse, for 2030 and beyond. Apple, for example, has recently committed to addressing water use in its supply chain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we need a Water Positive movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Sturniolo stated above, water was always essential, it\u2019s just that we haven\u2019t been trained to see it that way, especially with the dominance of carbon in the sustainability narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He calls it a blind spot: \u201cAnd that blind spot is precisely where the most powerful opportunity of this century emerges: building markets and models around what was once ignored. Water is not only foundational. It is the unclaimed territory of global sustainability strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whereas the movement gained momentum from the SDG, Sturniolo said that Water Positive has moved beyond ticking sustainability boxes. He added: \u201cThe sustainability era has evolved, it\u2019s about redesigning business models to stay viable in a climate-stressed world. Traditional indicators no longer tell the whole story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise of corporate sustainability reports have highlighted that the greatest risk to water reserves comes from the production footprint of businesses, rather than general consumption. The true difference is as much as 10 times, according to The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
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Do we need to raise our ambition on water, unquestionably, as we’re desperately failing to meet SDG6 <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


Sturniolo explained the importance of this statistic: \u201cAny production system that fails to return water to nature simply breaks the equation. We\u2019ve already depleted more than 40 per cent of our global freshwater reserves. That creates a hidden bubble in the food production market, a structural risk. If we don\u2019t reverse it, the collapse will be irreversible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, according to Sturniolo is a reason why there is a need for the Water Positive movement. \u201cIt isn\u2019t a response. It\u2019s a necessary reset. The new green is blue, and water is the missing link in the carbon-centered narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morgan is not convinced that focusing on Water Positive, as distinct from stewardship, is beneficial. However, he acknowledges that there is a need for action: \u201cDo we need to raise our ambition on water, unquestionably, as we’re desperately failing to meet SDG6.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What problems will it solve?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rather than solving individual problems in the way a new technology might, Water Positivity addresses the blind spot Sturniolo mentioned above. Water connects the Sustainable Development Goals and a positivity mindset helps drive accountability for those goals ahead of future regulations. It also helps to add value to water by seeing it as a design element as companies begin to address their water usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sturniolo highlighted the work of Amazon Web Services in the Arag\u00f3n region of Spain. \u201cJust look at the scale of investment pouring into regions like Arag\u00f3n, where Amazon Web Services is deploying a vast network of hyperscale data centers powered by renewable energy and reliant on stable water supply.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued: \u201cFrom circular cooling systems that reduce thermal impact while supporting aquifer recharge, to urban planning that manages flood risk and enhances ecological function, water is no longer a constraint, it\u2019s a design variable. Regenerative agriculture that restores soil moisture, or products that return more to nature than they take, are not fringe innovations. These are market signals of a transition already underway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of the main challenges to Water Positivity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the increase in companies introducing water targets into their sustainability strategies, too many still undervalue water or underestimate what it takes to be sustainable. Or, as Sturniolo points out: \u201cLegacy thinking and governance gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water, in this respect, is still far behind carbon in the global consciousness. Water Positivity can, therefore, give value to water, but there are still large parts of the world that are not ready or able to take advantage of the benefits this mindset can afford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morgan believes that Water Positive programs are not broad enough in scope: \u201cMany focus on operational water use, which typically represents only 10-20 per cent of total water use (supply chain being where the greatest impacts and water use sit).\u201d
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Many focus on operational water use, which typically represents only 10-20 per cent of total water use <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


He added: \u201cFurthermore, \u2018water positive\u2019 often focuses on volumetric issues, ignoring major stakeholder concerns on water quality, or bigger issues of water governance and freshwater ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public perception may also present a challenge, especially when it comes to corporates reporting on Water Positive metrics. A GlobeScan\/WWF Future Water Agenda report found that among both public and water experts the term water positive failed to resonate. It should be noted that \u2018net positive water impact\u2019 resonated better with experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another term that failed to resonate is replenish, which is used frequently in corporate water reporting. Instead, terms like water friendly, restores ecosystems and protects water proved popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while perception of a term does not diminish its value in terms of impact and importance, it makes it more challenging for companies to engage the public and communities in which they operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are companies incorporating Water Positivity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the benefits of the Water Positive movement is that it has led to direct, practical action, as Morgan explained: \u201cWater positivity has led to a growth in funding for nature-based solutions, and that is a good example of how it can have benefits. Coca-Cola\u2019s efforts to engage in replenish work (which tends to link to water positivity) has restored wetlands and done great things for species and people and business alike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example of what being Water Positive means for a business or company, Sturniolo shared with Aquatech Online how Aqua Positive has approached its own journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t just embrace water positivity, we operationalised it. We brought together a top-tier interdisciplinary team in sustainability, water stewardship, finance, and tech architecture to build the most advanced ESG platform on the market. It measures integrated environmental footprints and translates water impact into business value, generating auditable reports aligned with global standards.\u201d
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It measures integrated environmental footprints and translates water impact into business value<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


He continued: \u201cOur algorithm validates additionality, tracks outcomes across entire supply chains, and ensures alignment with key regulatory frameworks like Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before explaining: \u201cIt also incorporates a proprietary model, validated by SCS Global Services, which quantifies each project\u2019s contribution to the SDGs based on its connection to water. This enables us to measure, simulate, and optimise impact across all 17 Goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also changed the way the company understood ROI. It was no longer seen as a purely financial output, but instead as a \u2018systems input that reshapes how value is created and distributed. The mindset aspect of Water Positive led to regeneration being embraced as a strategy that integrated water, carbon, and biodiversity into a unified equation of impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the future hold for Water Positivity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Water Positivity has a number of advantages for future-focused companies. The global green and sustainability tech market is projected to grow by 23 per cent annually to reach nearly \u20ac73 billion by 2032, according to research conducted by Global Market Insights. But, as Sturniolo points out, market growth won\u2019t be distributed evenly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly companies with credible, verifiable sustainability strategies will capture the upside,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the age of transparency, accountability is not optional. It\u2019s the baseline. Consider these data-driven hooks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n