P&G accelerates efforts to address global water scarcity with three-pillar strategy

Water scarcity is a global issue, affecting every continent despite 71% of the Earth’s surface being covered by water. Nearly one-third of the world’s population currently lives in regions experiencing water stress, and projections indicate this figure could rise to two-thirds by 2025. In response to this growing crisis, World Water Week is held annually in Stockholm, Sweden, bringing together the global water community to collaborate and accelerate actions toward sustainable water solutions. 

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is playing its part in contributing to a water-positive future through a comprehensive three-pillar strategy introduced in 2022. This strategy focuses on reducing, restoring, and responding to water challenges through innovative approaches and partnerships. 

One of the key areas of progress is reducing water usage in P&G’s production facilities. The company has set an ambitious target of improving water efficiency by reducing water consumption per unit of production by 35% by 2030. So far, P&G has achieved a 24% reduction in water use since 2010. Additionally, the company is recycling 3.47 billion liters of water annually, advancing toward its goal of recycling and reusing 5 billion liters of water per year by 2030. 

P&G is also focusing on restoring water in 18 water-stressed regions worldwide, where the company operates. The restoration efforts aim to improve, manage, or protect water resources, with the company partnering with local organizations that possess a deep understanding of the specific challenges in each area. These projects are designed to restore more water than is consumed at P&G manufacturing sites in these regions, particularly targeting water lost through evaporation or incorporated into finished products. 

In metropolitan areas such as Mexico City and Los Angeles, P&G is working to restore more water than is consumed during the use of its products. The focus in these areas is on addressing water lost through household leaks or evaporation during product use.  

“These long-term projects are the first steps toward restoring water in 18 water-stressed areas across seven countries where we operate”, the company stated, underlining its commitment to tackling water scarcity and ensuring sustainable water management in critical regions worldwide.