The global conversation about sustainability has been mostly about carbon footprints and renewable energy, but there is a new, equally important issue emerging – water scarcity. Due to climate change and population growth, businesses, communities, and governments are trying new ways to ensure water security. One of the major new ways is water neutrality using water credits.
At Morning Dew, we are committed to advancing sustainable water solutions, and in this post, we will address what water credits are, the significance of water credits, and how they can help organizations and communities achieve water neutrality.
What is Water Neutrality?
Water neutrality is the concept of an organization, city, or community balancing its water consumption with the water they have returns or saves in the environment. In easy terms, if you are to take 1,000 liters of water, your best effort would be to take measures to replenish or offset that volume using conservation, efficiency, and restoration.
The goal of being water neutral allows for not only the reduction of water use, but also neutralizing the cumulative effect of water use, which, at the end of the day, will provide longevity or sustainability for generations to come.
What are water credits?
So, if you are asking yourself what water credits are, think of water credits as the water version of carbon credits. Basically, a water credit is a quantified volume of water that has been saved, reused, or replenished into the ecosystem, based on verified projects.
For example:
- A company installing rainwater collection systems in community settings can create water credits.
- A city with a capital improvement program that reduces leakage in municipal pipes can create credits.
- Businesses that are invested in wastewater treatment plants that reuse water can earn water credits.
- Organizations can then use these credits to offset their water use and achieve water neutrality.
Read Also: What are Water Credits? A Beginner’s Guide to Water Sustainability
Why are Water Credits Important?
Water credits can help address the global water crisis by:
1. Promoting accountability
Organizations that consume large amounts of water, such as manufacturers, agribusinesses, and urban developers, can purchase water credits to help them be accountable for their water consumption.
2. Stimulating Conservation Projects
The purchasing of water credits compels investment in conservation projects such as groundwater recharge, river restoration, and rainwater harvesting.
3. Aiding Corporate Sustainability Objectives
Many international companies have now set water neutrality objectives, and water credits provide a measurable pathway to accomplish those objectives.
4. Protecting Local Communities
Water credits demonstrate support for conservation projects so that local communities have access to sufficient and safe water supplies.
How Water Credits Facilitate Water Neutrality
The connection between water neutrality and water credits is similar to carbon offsets and carbon neutrality. Together they function as follows:
1. Measuring Consumption
Organizations begin by measuring their water footprint through operations.
2. Reducing Usage
They introduce water reduction activities (water recycling, upgrading cooling systems, improving irrigation).
3. Offsetting Water Use with Water Credits
Any remaining water use is offset by purchasing water credits projects to allow for a balance between use and replenishment.
4. Achieving Neutrality
In this cycle, a business can credibly claim water neutrality and be recognized for being environmentally responsible.
Water Credit Applications in Real Life
1. Business Sustainability
Large corporations involved in the food & beverage, textiles, and pharmaceuticals industries are increasingly buying water credits to mitigate their significant usage.
2. Urban Planning
Cities experiencing rapid growth in population can create water credit systems that incentivize developers to think water-neutral when constructing housing developments.
3. Agriculture
Farmers and agribusiness can implement efficient irrigation systems, generate water credits, and then trade these credits to balance consumption in water-stressed areas.
At Morning Dew, we believe that these mechanisms will be crucial in helping communities and industries adapt to the future global scarcity of what many are seeing as the world’s new oil!
Advantages of Water Credits for Business
By adopting water credits, organizations can not only attain water-neutral estimates but also gain strategic advantages:
1. Improved Brand Value:
Consumers are more likely to buy from organizations that believe in and prioritize sustainability.
2. Regulatory Compliance:
Water credit systems can help organizations meet environmental regulations.
3. Operational Sustainability:
Reducing reliance on vulnerable water sources will protect an organization from adversity.
4. Investor Appeal:
Organizations that make strong water neutrality commitments and create a strong case for their adoption will attract more investment from ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) focused investors.
Potential Barriers to Water Credits
Although there is great potential for water credits and neutrality, there are significant barriers that still need to be addressed:
- Standardization: Compared to carbon credits, water credits are still figuring out universal global standards.
- Verification: Verifying whether projects are in fact saving or replenishing water is vitally important.
- Regionality: Water scarcity is tailored to specific geographies; thus, credits must be tailored to the unique specifics of each location.
At Morning Dew, we advocate for open and publicly accessible regional frameworks so it is clear whether the water credits are real and can have benefits where they are needed the most.
How Morning Dew supports water neutrality
Morning Dew aims to democratize access and engagement with sustainable water practices. Our specific areas of focus are:
- Water Innovation: We innovate technologies that directly lessen reliance on stressed water supply and offer innovative solutions to lower water footprint, including atmospheric water generation and innovative treatment and recycling systems.
- Partnerships for Water Credits: We partner with communities, NGOs, governments, and businesses to co-design and co-develop credible water credit projects.
- Education & Awareness: We educate people and organizations about what water credits are and how to incorporate them into their own footprints.
Through accountability and innovation, we help both businesses and communities to engage through water neutrality.
Conclusion
In summary, even though water will never be nonexistent, water neutrality is an imperative to create a sustainable future. Communities and organizations can manage their consumption in a renewable way using water credits as a part of their sustainability plans, to relieve the pressure on ecosystems, while ensuring water security for the inhabitants.
At Morning Dew, we feel that water neutrality is not only an aim but a requirement. Water credits are leading the way, and the path to a water-secure world has already started.
