Beyond Carbon: Why Water Needs to Be Our Next Big Focus
For years, the conversation around environmental sustainability has been dominated by carbon. While reducing carbon emissions remains crucial, we risk developing "carbon tunnel vision"—overlooking other critical planetary boundaries essential for a healthy Earth.
Last week, Better Futures hosted a thought-provoking lunch and learn session highlighting one such boundary: water. The session underscored the urgent need to shift our focus beyond carbon and embrace a more holistic approach to sustainability, recognizing the interconnectedness of our planet's resources.
Planetary Boundaries: Recognizing Water's Vital Role
The concept of planetary boundaries defines the safe operating space for humanity within which we can thrive and avoid catastrophic environmental change. Water is one of these boundaries, and we are pushing dangerously close to its limits. Over-extraction, pollution, and climate change-induced droughts are stressing our water systems, threatening ecosystems, and impacting communities worldwide.
The Hidden Water Footprint: A Sandwich's Story
The session explored the often-hidden water footprint of our everyday choices. Participants engaged in a lively exercise, attempting to calculate the water footprint of a seemingly simple product: a sandwich in paper packaging with a plastic window. The complexity of this calculation, compounded by the sandwich's imported ingredients and mixed materials, highlighted the challenges of truly understanding the impact of our consumption. From the agricultural processes used to grow the ingredients to the manufacturing and transportation of the packaging, every step contributes to the overall water footprint.
The Life Cycle Perspective: A Crucial Lens for Evaluation
This exercise served as a powerful reminder that a life cycle perspective is crucial for accurately evaluating the true environmental cost of any product or service. We must consider the entire journey, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal (and hopefully recycling!), to gain a comprehensive understanding of our impact.
Furthermore, the difficulty in recycling mixed-material packaging highlighted another critical issue: the need for more sustainable packaging solutions. While recycling is an essential part of the solution, designing products for recyclability from the outset is even more important. This requires a shift towards simpler, mono-material packaging and increased investment in recycling infrastructure.
Moving Beyond Carbon: Integrating Water Stewardship into Business Strategy
Moving forward, businesses must broaden their sustainability strategies beyond carbon reduction. Integrating water footprint assessments into product development and supply chain management is a crucial first step. This involves:
Mapping the entire life cycle of products and services: Understanding the water usage at each stage, from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.
Identifying hotspots of water consumption: Pinpointing areas where water usage is highest and exploring opportunities for reduction and efficiency improvements.
Engaging with suppliers: Collaborating with suppliers to implement sustainable water management practices throughout the supply chain.
Investing in innovative solutions: Exploring and adopting new technologies and processes that minimize water usage and promote water stewardship.
Sustainability is a multifaceted challenge. By expanding our focus beyond carbon and embracing a more holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of planetary boundaries, including water, we can create a truly sustainable future for all.
