With water shortages and floods becoming increasingly common around the world, we are promoting responsible water management throughout our value chain and encouraging other companies to do the same.
Partnering to meet global water challenges
As part of our participation in World Water Week 2021, we published a joint statement (link in Swedish) together with WWF and Swedish multinational companies to encourage global action on water-related issues.
The statement is in response to the worsening global water crisis that has made headlines around the world this year with serious water shortages and floods. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) recent climate report also highlights how human emissions are causing increasingly severe water-related issues.
Three calls to action on water
Our statement calls for other companies to join us in taking the following three steps:
1) Raise awareness
Use the WWF Water Risk Filter to analyze the water risks throughout their value chain. This includes focusing on local conditions and how they may be affected by future climate scenarios.
2) Act
Set targets and develop a strategy for more responsible water use throughout the value chain. Water targets should be science-based and adapted to local conditions – to optimize a company’s resource use.
3) Collaborate
Partner with a wide range of stakeholders is essential, including investors and decision makers in other companies. Collaboration is particularly important in geographic risk areas where responsible water use initiatives will be increasingly required for successful business.
Electrolux walks the talk
We have followed these three steps to promote efficient water use – both in our operations and our products – for several years.
Our work with water efficiency in manufacturing is driven by our long-term collaboration with the WWF and has been guided by the WWF Water Risk Filter since 2014. We also work closely with internal stakeholders through the Electrolux Green Spirt program, which involves sharing water management best practice, monthly reporting on water performance indicators as well as conducting water mapping.
Many of our plants recycle process water and some are already closed loop in terms of reusing process water, and we are currently investigating opportunities in several other facilities. We also use harvested rainwater in manufacturing processes, such as in Thailand, Brazil and Australia.
Leadership on water issues
We were recognized earlier this year for our sustainability leadership with a prestigious double “A” score by the global nonprofit CDP. Electrolux is one of few companies to receive top marks both for its efforts to tackle water use issues and climate change.
“Between 2015 and 2020, our overall water efficiency in operations improved by more than 40%, with particularly good progress at our factories in water scarce regions,” says Tomas Dahlman, Director Global Energy, Group Sustainability Affairs.
Promoting a more water-efficient society
Electrolux has a key role in actively engaging with partners and delivering consumer innovations to promote more efficient water use in society. Earlier this year, we contributed toward the influential “A Circular Water Future” white paper as a founding member of the 50L Home Coalition.
Our innovations enable more responsible consumer behavior by allowing them to save water and energy in their everyday lives. Examples include the QuickSelect interface that intuitively indicates to the consumer how they can save water and energy, and the SprayZone innovation that allows water to efficiently reach the most difficult dishwasher zones.
