Maintaining reliable access to fresh water is a global challenge, and this challenge is growing increasingly difficult due to a complex range of reasons, including weak governance, climate volatility, water scarcity, degradation of natural systems, pollution and aging infrastructure.

In response, many organizations in the private sector have made ambitious public commitments to improve the long-term health and security of the natural water systems within the watersheds on which they depend. These commitments are often communicated as water replenishment targets.

Meeting water replenishment targets is not easy, and many different types of challenges can get in the way, including: finding suitable local partners, promoting consistency across different regions and business units, maximizing the value of limited resources and attention, managing and coordinating the efforts of multiple partners and y delivering effective reporting, auditing and claim management.

Effective governance of corporate water replenishment programs is critical to successfully navigating these challenges and minimizing the risk of greenwashing, overclaiming or failing to deliver on commitments.

This paper presents 12 practical tips for developing effective governance of corporate water replenishment programs – based upon key insights from seven leading companies in the food and beverage industry, including  including Cargill Inc., Constellation Brands Inc., Diageo plc, Heineken N.V., Mars Inc., Nestle Waters and PepsiCo Inc.