24th March - New York
Responding
to the end of the UN 2023 Water Conference, Cate Lamb, Global Director for
Water Security at CDP, said:
“This long overdue UN Water Conference should be a launch pad for deeper and stronger collective action on the water crisis - we need water security to be valued as central to our food, energy, climate, and economic security.
12 heads of state turned up in New York and we need more involvement and follow-up to what was discussed. The commitments made by businesses, cities, and investors are voluntary and must be strengthened over time.
While we wait for global leadership, CDP stands ready to support the transition to a water-secure future by providing a global platform for the creation, collection, and distribution of strategic water data. This data is essential for business, financial, and policy decisions. Water disclosure via CDP has grown 85% in the last 5 years and we only expect this to grow further and faster as the need to manage water-related risks becomes more urgent.
We witnessed several examples of leadership and innovation; companies which see the multibillion-dollar opportunity in taking action now, member states stepping up with tangible financial commitments, and investors with trillions in assets calling stronger policy responses. We also witnessed a recognition that we must not forget the needs of marginalized communities.
Water is a global commons. We know its depletion goes hand-in-hand with the climate crisis. Many member states are starting to realize this fact. What’s needed now is that strategies to combat climate change must be waterproofed.
One key way is to establish a system that properly prices water, without undue burden on poor households. As the Global Commission on the Economics of Water makes clear, water is significantly under-priced relative to its value, and it is obvious that the world remains far from an effective system that balances private and public interests. The next step is to mandate water disclosure to accelerate action and ensure a level playing field across the economy. It was encouraging to see the European Commission and the Government of Singapore intervene to call for mandatory water disclosure during the week.
As this historic summit closes, we should redouble our efforts tomorrow, and the next day. The world cannot afford to wait another 46 years."
ENDS
For any media enquiries please contact adam.wentworth@cdp.net.