A recent post by guest contributer, Julie Urlaub, discussed the rising importance of water as a sustainability issue. In it, Urlaub states, “clean, fresh, and ‘usable’ water is no longer just an issue for developing countries. It has become a global social and business sustainability issue.” This fact is more evident by Bloomberg’s recent announcement to launch a water data and analysis service as part of its ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) service offering. According to the Responsible Investor article, it plans to launch a service focusing on water in early 2011.
When Bloomberg launched its ESG data service in 2009, many thought it a game changer in environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting; putting ESG data on 3,080 companies in 43 countries in the hands of investors. The recent announcement to include water in its service offering confirms that water is on the sustainability list and will remain there.
According to the Responsible Investor article, Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, cited the “very poor information” currently available on water usage and remarked that “water is the next big challenge,” at the Carbon Disclosure Project’s new Water Disclosure project’s inaugural results in London.
Making water issues and usage available to investors and shareholders empowers them to address this rising challenge. “Asset owners can put pressure on companies like no one else, the role of the investors is absolutely critical,” Liebreich said, according to Responsible-Investor.com
Image Credit: Bergius via Flickr under CC license.