PR90358

VEVEY, Switzerland, June 29, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

    Nestle Waters will expand its current efforts to manage water sustainably

and increase its collaboration with partners to identify and support local

solutions. These solutions are designed to help regenerate the ecosystems in

the areas around each of Nestle Waters' 48 sites. As of 2025, they will help

nature retain more water than the business uses in its operations.

    The new initiative builds on the company's 2017 commitment to certify all

of its Waters sites by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) by 2025. This

standard requires water users to understand and act collectively on water

challenges.

    Nestle will now use its expertise to advance the regeneration of local

water cycles through the implementation of more than 100 projects for its 48

sites by 2025. These new, measurable actions will support better water

management and infrastructure. Some project examples include:

    - Buxton [https://youtu.be/V2Zv11b7z30] – Land conservation (protecting

land from development) and natural flood management interventions in

Derbyshire, UK

    -Vittel [https://youtu.be/huk7uxsJqq4]– River restoration and renaturation

projects in Vosges, France

    -Nestle Pure Life – Support for farmers to use drip irrigation in

Sheikhupura, Pakistan

    -Nestle Pure Life [https://youtu.be/a_NJEACmDKU] – The delivery of water

treatment, filtration and pipeline infrastructure for the municipal water

supply in Benha, Egypt

    Nestle will invest CHF 120 million (USD 130 million) to assist the

implementation of the more than 100 projects.

    "Today, we are accelerating our journey to support the regeneration of

local water cycles and are challenging ourselves to take bold new steps," said

Muriel Lienau, Head of the Waters Business. "We want to play an active role in

helping to conserve water resources everywhere we operate. To do so, we will

work with many partners to develop tailored projects that help find local

solutions."

    Climate change, higher water consumption, growing urbanization and damaged

infrastructure are some of the factors contributing to the deterioration of the

natural water cycle. These trends are interfering with the predictability of

precipitation and the availability of clean water. Additionally, rising

temperatures and more extreme weather patterns are causing more flooding and

droughts.

    "As a business with a long heritage of nature protection and water

stewardship, we want to go beyond the conservation of water sources to help

regenerate and restore water cycles in the areas where we operate," said Cedric

Egger, Head of Sustainability at Nestle Waters. "We know the water challenge is

global, but it can only be tackled through local solutions. Now is the time to

expand the scope of our actions. With Nestlé's presence around the world, we

can learn from our many partners and contribute to solving the water challenges

in the locations near our operations."

    Nestle's work will be tailored to individual locations, needs and issues

and will take a broader approach, going beyond its own operations. The company

will work with local water users, communities, partners and global experts to

identify, develop and progress projects specific to those challenges. As a

founding member of the 2030 Water Resources Group

[https://www.2030wrg.org/about-us/background/] (2030 WRG), Nestlé has a history

of collaborating with leaders and experts from the public, private and civil

society sectors to help design solutions for sustainable water management. The

company will apply its experience and learnings from the 2030 WRG as well as

from its many other partnerships in the implementation of the more than 100

water projects outlined above.

    All projects will be measurable, using the World Resources Institute's

Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) methodology. This methodology

provides consistency in analyzing water management activities and helps to

ensure that such activities address current and future shared water challenges.

    Using this methodology, a newly created external panel will review the

relevance and sustainability of the projects and give feedback on whether they

are helping to address the local challenges and opportunities. Nestle Waters

will provide full transparency on the water usage at each of its sites and on

what its projects contribute to the area.  

    Contacts:

    Media:

    Christoph Meier

    mediarelations@nestle.com  

    Investors:

    Luca Borlini

    ir@nestle.com

    Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1553610/NESTLE_Logo.jpg  

    Source: Nestle