The role of your business water footprint on the journey to Net Zero
Thursday 1st May 2025
Whether you’re taking your first steps on your journey to Net Zero or you’re well on the way to ISO certification, B-corp status and have years of emissions reporting under your belt, you’ll be wanting to pay close attention to your business water footprint.
Energy usage and transport often take the spotlight in the discussion surrounding reducing emissions and setting Net Zero goals. However, as organisations become more rigorous in accounting for their carbon footprint, understanding all of the elements that make up Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions is necessary . . . as any sustainability specialist will tell you.
With that in mind, it’s essential to understand, measure and monitor your organisation’s water footprint in order to report on the associated emissions and work to reduce them.
What is a water footprint?
A business’s water footprint is the total volume of freshwater used to support both direct and indirect operations. This includes water that is used in processes such as drinking, cleaning, cooling and manufacturing. Critically, it’s not just about what comes out of the tap; it’s about what it takes to get that water to a business . . . and where it goes afterwards.
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Why water usage matters in your Net Zero strategy
Water consumption can be directly linked to carbon emissions because every litre of water that comes through a business’s taps have been pumped, treated or heated, which requires energy – energy that comes at a carbon cost. No matter whether you are running a factory or a farm, a hospitality venue or office, the more water you consume, the higher your associated emissions are likely to be.
From this perspective, it’s not just the water you intend to use that should be considered. Leaks, wastage and inefficient processes can serve to waste water, money and, as a result, energy.
For example, if your business heats water for industrial use or perhaps food production, this will be energy intensive. Similarly, we should be conscious of the environmental impact associated with treating and handling wastewater.
Tracking your water footprint can be done smarter now
By measuring and managing your organisation’s water consumption and taking steps to identify leaks quickly – see more about our EcoMOT service for information on this – it is possible to identify high usage and wastage areas in order to give visibility over where improvements can be made. Clearer data also enables businesses to set meaningful reduction targets that can be integrated with broader water data and carbon accounting efforts.
With this information to hand it is also possible to develop a strategy to improve water efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This may include:
- Fixing leaks and installing low-flow taps and toilets
- Investing in more water efficient appliances
- Harvesting rainwater for non-potable use
- Promoting more water conscious behaviours through staff training
All of this serves to strengthen ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting and compliance efforts within your team. And, in industries like manufacturing, hospitality and agriculture, even these relatively small changes can generate big savings in terms of cost, carbon emissions and water for business.
There’s no time or water to waste
If you want to get serious about progressing on your journey to Net Zero, understanding the impact of water efficiency is an important step. At Everflow, we help businesses like yours to reduce costs and environmental impact through sustainable water solutions tailored to your needs.
