SBTN Freshwater Hub Partners Publish Science-Based Targets Guidance for Corporate Water Management

The Science Based Targets Network's Freshwater Hub, co-led by CDP and WWF with Pacific Institute, World Resources Institute and The Nature Conservancy, has published technical guidance for companies setting science-based targets for freshwater use. The guidance is designed to complement existing frameworks including CDP disclosure, the Alliance for Water Stewardship and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

Science-based freshwater targets are specific, measurable and time-bound commitments that allow companies to reduce their impact on freshwater resources in line with locally relevant ecological tipping points. The SBTN framework enables companies to future-proof growth without depleting or polluting freshwater beyond sustainable limits, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and to Global Biodiversity Framework commitments. CDP data indicates that water insecurity is already creating material risks for companies including operational and supply chain disruptions, increased costs, regulatory uncertainty and reputational damage.

The joint paper published by the SBTN Freshwater Hub partners and the Alliance for Water Stewardship provides clarity on how CDP disclosure, AWS standards and SBTN targets can be used together as part of a corporate water stewardship journey. Seventeen countries currently withdraw more than 80 percent of their available freshwater supply annually, creating physical water risks relevant to companies with supply chains or operations in water-stressed regions. India's agricultural, manufacturing and energy sectors face significant exposure to such risks, making science-based freshwater target-setting increasingly material for Indian corporates.

CDP is hosting a webinar on corporate water stewardship and science-based targets to support companies in navigating the available frameworks and beginning their water action journeys. The SBTN Freshwater Hub is designed to build on companies' existing sustainability strategies, providing a pathway from CDP disclosure through to science-based target-setting and implementation. Incorporating freshwater targets into corporate sustainability strategies is identified as both a risk mitigation measure and a means of demonstrating commitment to nature-positive outcomes aligned with global biodiversity and water security goals.

Key figure — 17 countries withdraw more than 80% of their available freshwater supply annually