Water quietly powers everything we depend on—ecosystems, agriculture, and supply chains. At its own pace it circulates through the atmosphere, flows across the earth’s surface, and trickles through soil underground. It’s the backbone of environmental health, social stability, and economic growth. But only about 3% of all water is fresh. This tiny fraction is available for drinking, agriculture, and everyday human needs, but according the United Nations World Water Development Report, that number is rapidly declining due to climate change, pollution, and industry. The cost of ignoring water risk is already staggering: FAIRR estimates that inaction on water risk for businesses is between $200 - $300 billion across sectors, which is five times higher than the cost of proactive measures. So how can we bring water back and make the water we do have go further?

Industry leaders are looking upstream to not only reduce the amount of water they use in their operations, but restore water to communities, strengthen local water supplies, and reduce risk to resources that everyone depends on. And no company can do it alone. These Climate Pledge signatories—companies who have committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040—are leading the way for businesses to better manage the world’s most precious resource.

The following achievements have been shared with us directly by each Climate Pledge signatory.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners treats water as a shared resource, one that underpins public health, food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience across the 31 countries where it operates. The company aims to move beyond water efficiency toward returning water to nature and, by 2030, it aims to return at least 100% of the water it uses in its finished drinks to nature.

Read more about Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ water strategy.

In the gritty, resource-heavy world of fashion, DL1961 doesn’t approach sustainable denim with a tag line, but instead their practice is grounded in real resource reductions. Traditional denim manufacturing gobbles up around 1,200–1,500 gallons of water a pair, but because DL1961 oversees production from raw materials to finished jeans and has invested in water-smart tech, their manufacturing process often needs under 10 gallons of water to produce a single pair of denim. When DL1961 asked which resources are actually needed and which are just wasteful they saw a dramatic shrink in footprint. DL1961 also treats and recycles about 98% of the water they use in their own factory treatment plant, where specialized bacteria break down indigo dye before their water returns to municipal systems—turning a potential pollutant to a non-issue.

Read more about DL1961’s water strategy.

To achieve water balance, Heineken aims to replenish 1.5 liters of water to the local watershed for every liter of beer they sell in water-stressed areas. They implement a variety of interventions to achieve this, including nature-based solutions such as land conservation and ecosystem restoration. They also invest in infrastructure enhancements and projects to reduce water loss, such as mitigating leakage, to improve the reliability of water supply. Heineken provides access to safely managed water for communities in targeted countries using interventions based on local needs. Replenishment projects have started in 38 of the 40 sites in scope. In 2025, new projects were initiated in Italy, India, and South Africa. Five of their breweries in water-stressed areas in Vietnam, Mexico, Burundi, and two in Ethiopia, achieved full water balance. 

Read more about Heineken’s water and nature strategy.

Water is essential for making and using P&G products. Through its Water Positive Future Strategy, P&G aspires to contribute to a future where water can sustain people, nature, and P&G operations now and for generations to come. Its ambitions focus on reducing water in its operations, helping restore water in water-stressed areas, and responding to water challenges through innovation and partnership. Here’s a look at some of their work:

• By 2030, P&G has a goal to increase water efficiency at P&G facilities by 35% per unit of production vs. its 2010 baseline, and to recycle and reuse 5 billion liters of water in P&G facilities annually.
• P&G believes in empowering consumers to make a positive impact on water conservation and aims to promote water-saving practices at home through product innovation and educational initiatives.
• Water scarcity is a complex issue that varies by region, and addressing it requires understanding the local context. P&G works closely with on-the-ground partners with a deep knowledge of the local challenges, communities, and landscapes to support projects that improve, better manage, or protect freshwater resources in 18 water-stressed areas around the world. This can include projects that are helping to restore wetlands, replenish aquifers, improve irrigation efficiency or water quality, and more.
• The P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program has brought the life-changing impact of clean water to communities around the world for more than 20 years. In 2025, P&G reached its 2025 goal of 25 billion liters of clean water provided to children and families in more than 100 countries.

Learn more in this video or in P&G’s latest Citizenship Report.