Ecolab Watermark™ Study Reveals Global Generational Gap on Access to Clean and Safe Water
On World Water Day, findings show Baby Boomers are more concerned, want faster action than younger generations
Results from the Ecolab Watermark™ Study, global research that consulted more than 25,000 consumers across 15 different countries, found that while concern about water scarcity was high across all generations, older generations expressed higher levels of concern than younger generations. The study also revealed interesting insights into consumer attitudes towards clean and safe water:
- Concern appears to increase by generation, with more than three of every four consumers noting concerns.
- Baby Boomers (82%) are notably more concerned than Millennials (78%) and Generation Z (74%).
- Generation X aligns more closely to Baby Boomers than Millennials and Generation Z on concern, urgency and the need to act today.
- Generation Z consumers are less inclined to be concerned today (41%) and more concerned about what will happen in the future (56%).
Still, safe water emerges as one of the foremost environmental concerns for most generations, alongside other critical global issues such as pollution and climate change.
As a global leader in water management and solutions,
“We know that consumers around the world are concerned about the water crisis, and they want companies to be part of the solution,” said
Each year on
Highlights from Ecolab’s Year in Water include:
-
Ecolab helped our customers conserve more than 220 billion gallons of water in 2023, equivalent to the drinking water needs of more than 760 million people. By 2030,Ecolab aims to help customers conserve 300 billion gallons of water each year, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 1 billion people. -
Ecolab continued to grow itsEcolab Water for Climate™ program, which is designed to help companies advance sustainable business growth while meeting climate and water goals. This is a critical venture as companies face growing pressure to respond to intensifying effects of climate change and water scarcity. -
Ecolab celebrated a newAlliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification at Ecolab’sMonterrey, Mexico , manufacturing facility andNanjing ,China , manufacturing facility, bringing Ecolab’s total AWS-certified facility count to 10. These certifications help companies understand their water use and impact and implement strategies for smart water management. -
Ecolab participated in the Open Call to Accelerate Action on Water, joining other private sector companies in a commitment to make collective positive impact in 100 basins supporting more than three billion people, as part of Ecolab’s involvement with theWater Resilience Coalition (WRC), which the company co-founded in 2020. -
Ecolab invested in an innovative water access fund from WaterEquity, an asset manager focused on solving the global water and sanitation crisis primarily in Central andSouth America ,Africa , as well asAsia Pacific . Additional investor partners included Starbucks, Gap Inc., Reckitt and DuPont with additional backing by theU.S. DFC. The$150 million Global Access Fund IV, which closed inSeptember 2023 , aims to reach five million people with access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). -
As Basin Champion of the drought-stricken
Colorado River Basin ,Ecolab played a central role in launching the California Water Resilience Initiative (CWRI), which is a private sector initiative to accelerate coordinated, collective action to achieve a water-resilient future forCalifornia , in alignment with public sector goals. -
Ecolab joined global leaders at the historicUN Water Conference , the first gathering of its kind since 1977, to advocate for water stewardship in the private sector. -
Ecolab received public recognition for sustainability, climate and water leadership as part of the CDP A Lists, JUST Capital’s America’s Most Just Companies, the Dow Jones Sustainability™ Indices, and Barron’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies, among others. -
Ecolab continued to offer its Smart Water Navigator for free to any business looking to understand the value of water in their operations and take action to achieve corporate water goals.
Accelerating change through the power of water is core to Ecolab’s purpose to improve the health of people, planet and business around the world. The company shares its expertise in smart water use with customers to help them reduce, reuse and recycle water in their operations. In addition to supporting effective water use, Ecolab’s solutions help customers use energy more efficiently, reduce waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions to advance a more sustainable future.
To learn more about how
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