Ecolab Study Reveals Consumer Concern for the World's Water

The Ecolab Watermark™ Study found access to clean and safe water to be a leading environmental concern for consumers across the globe, including 81% of United States respondents.

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ecolab, a global sustainability leader offering water solutions and services, today announced findings from the inaugural  Ecolab Watermark™ Study . The global consumer research examined the state of water stewardship through water’s importance, usage, connection to climate and responsibility among key consumer populations around the world.

By 2030, the planet is set to face a 56% water deficit, according to the World Resources Institute, and 1.6 billion people will lack safely managed drinking water, according to the United Nations. It’s amid this pressing water crisis that Ecolab developed the  Ecolab Watermark Study  to identify trends, help educate and generate action across industry stakeholders, specifically those in Asia/Pacific, China, Europe, India/Middle East/Africa (IMEA), Latin America and the United States (U.S.).

Among its global findings, the  Ecolab Watermark Study  uncovered several critical water-related trends:

• Access to clean and safe water   is a paramount concern  for consumers in every region. Latin America (92%), China (85%) and the U.S. (81%) have the highest percentage of consumers who are more concerned about access to clean and safe water than other climate-related issues, such as pollution or climate change.
• Consumers hold governments and businesses most responsible  for water conservation. However, consumers do not believe these leaders care enough about their impact on water or climate change. This was most pronounced in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia/Pacific, where between 42% and 46% of people believed their leaders cared.
• Consumers believe that industry has no clear plan  to address water scarcity, despite the perceived responsibility and importance. This concern is most evident in China (82%), Latin America (78%), and IMEA (78%), but also noticeably visible in Europe (66%), the U.S. (65%) and Asia/Pacific (60%).

“The water crisis impacts communities regardless of location and is often overlooked in the global response to climate change. As we continue our work to transform the way the world thinks about water, the results from the  Ecolab Watermark Study  should galvanize leaders to assume a larger role in protecting this precious and finite resource,” said Christophe Beck, chairman and chief executive officer, Ecolab. “Time is running out to address this challenge, and consumers across the world are saying that businesses must act now. The good news for industry is that meeting this responsibility can deliver positive sustainability and business outcomes.”

In response to the perceived lack of accountability, consumers are themselves adopting environmentally friendly buying behaviors. According to the study, consumers are willing to stop purchasing products that require a significant amount of water to produce, as well as pay more for goods that are made using sustainable business practices, particularly in IMEA (88%), China (85%) and Latin America (81%).

Despite the known challenges, consumers remain optimistic that the water crisis can be mitigated with proper and immediate action. On average, three out of four consumers across the globe believe that water scarcity can be effectively addressed, according to the study, with the optimism most evident in Latin America (84%), IMEA (83%) and China (78%).

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Taxonomy

• Water Stewardship