Bluewater footprint

Unit

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: Cubic meters per year (m³/year)

Indicator

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: Water consumption and withdrawal

Metric type

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: Pressure

Framework alignment notes

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Voluntary 3.3.1. Bluewater footprint (=bluewater evaporation + blue water incorporation + lost return flow)
ISO 14046 - Water footprint

Target example
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[Company name] will reduce its bluewater footprint in [basin] to [target amount in ML/year] by [target year].

Target source: WBCSD target template

Metric assessment

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Relevance: Medium

Feasibility: High

Additional Metric Notes
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ACT-D stage
Assess

Maturity stage
Developing

Metric Contribution to Action
Quantifying direct water withdrawals helps reduce unsustainable water use and prevents overextraction from freshwater ecosystems.

Observations, Successes and Challenges

  • Measures direct consumption of water from surface and groundwater sources, highlighting areas where water withdrawal is most significant.
  • The bluewater footprint doesn’t account for rainwater (greenwater) or wastewater (greywater), potentially missing significant aspects of overall water usage. It is recommended to consider greenwater and greywater footprint metrics in conjunction for a more comprehensive assessment.
  • Doesn’t capture water quality

Related actions

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Avoid environmental harm

Avoid environmental harm

Description