THE VALUE OF WATER: A framework for understanding water valuation, risk and stewardship DISCUSSION DRAFT | August 2015 AUTHORS | Alexis J. Morgan and Stuart Orr (WWF International) COVER PHOTOS LEFT: A girl pumps water in Zimbabwe. PHOTO CREDIT: Curt Carnemark / World Bank RIGHT: The renovated water treatment plant in Juba South Sudan. PHOTO CREDIT: Arne Hoel / World Bank TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2. Water valuation: Varying perspectives and the need for clarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.1 The perspective of business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.2 The perspective of government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.3 The perspective of civil society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.4 Confusion in the valuation terminology landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.5 A review of existing water valuation frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 3. New Water Valuation Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3.1 Nested Value (X-Axis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3.2 Risk and Uncertainty (Y-Axis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3.3 Putting together the pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 3.3.1 A brief overview of water risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 3.3.2 A brief overview of water stewardship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 3.3.3 Revisiting water risk and stewardship through the Water Valuation Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 3.4 Conclusions on the Water Valuation Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4. Comprehensive metrics to understand how water affects shareholder value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.1 Accounting for how water affects present value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.1.1 A Water Valuation Balance Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.1.2 A Water Valuation Income Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 4.2 Accounting for (future) water-related value-at-risk and at larger scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5. Exploring water tools and case studies using the Water Valuation Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 5.1 Water valuation tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 5.1.1 Water risk tools and methodologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 5.2 Water valuation case studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 6.1 Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 6.2 Concluding thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Annexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 A.1 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 A.2 Valuation Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 A.3 Water Valuation Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 The people in Woukpokpoe village have benefited greatly from Benin’s national CDD project. They now have access to safe, clean water. PHOTO CREDIT: Arne Hoel / World Bank EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WHY DOES THE VALUE OF WATER MATTER? is report seeks to bring clarity to a corporate audience, as well as other relevant stakeholders, on how to better understand Water is arguably the most precious resource on Earth, and water valuation, water risks, and the possibilities for better water yet we often value and manage it extremely poorly. e price stewardship. After an introduction, Part 2 discusses current of water traditionally re ects a limited set of costs to treat and valuation practices to date and their limitations. Part 3 then transport water, but the value of water is far greater. Low and presents a new framework for valuing water. Part 4 uses that subsidized water prices are important to ensure the human framework to help corporates to better account for water’s true right to water is met, and yet water’s low market-based cost has value. Part 5 looks at current tools and case studies to using the resulted in pro igate use, freshwater contamination and, in new framework to better understand the eld. Highlights of the general, in icted costs upon society and nature. Furthermore, key sections are as follows: for business, the skewed market-based value of water has resulted in losses to shareholder value. Section 1. Introduction e value of water is di cult to quantify because di erent Section 1 lays out the basic context for the report and the basic audiences conceptualize and describe its values di erently. components to be discussed. e private sector tends to use the language of nance, while governments often employ concepts from economics and Section 2. Varying perspectives and the need for clarity civil society, using a range of environmental, rights-based, or Section 2 looks at the eld of water valuation to give context social-goods language for valuing water. All of the stakeholders to the report. e section begins by looking at how the private have a legitimate claim on water and its use, and so a corporate sector, government, and civil society value water di erently. e perspective must both understand and negotiate these di erent section then progresses to look at two key often-mistaken terms: ways of valuing water as a scarce resource. FIGURE A. The value of water to a company, the economy, society and nature UNCERTAIN CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE CREATION/ SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL VALUE FACILITY) VALUE LOSS FROM WATER USE FOR (WELL-BEING) CREATED/LOST BY CREATION/LOSS FROM GOODS AND SERVICES DERIVED FROM HYDROLOGICAL WATER USE HUMAN SYSTEMS National, regional and local WATER USE Companies (and governments are interested Ecological systems their facilities) derive in economic (shared) value Humanity uses water are tied to all proprietary value (and manage water-related for various purposes, hydrological systems through water use, costs/externalities), which are which range from and ultimately which is enhanced or lost affected by water use decisions, incalculable values provide a broad based on their industry including allocation. (e.g., basic health array of services to (corporate risk), their and survival) to society while also corporate response Corporations link to economic personal enjoyment maintaining natural (water management or value creation via jobs/taxes; (e.g., recreation) and systems. stewardship) and external also, corporations suffer from economic use. forces (basin risk). health costs, cleanup costs, etc. MONETARY VALUE ACCOUNTED FOR VIA SOCIAL VALUE CERTAIN VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 1 “Water Valuation” and “Water at Risk.” e section concludes Water stewardship is a form of water risk mitigation that by looking at the strengths and limitations of two current seeks to preserve and create value at multiple scales and levels valuation tools: e WBCSD Water Valuation Framework and of certainty. A more traditional, limited water management the Total Economic Valuation (TEV) framework. response, as seen in Figure C, focuses on a narrow range of current facility and corporate value elements (largely current Section 3. New Water Valuation Framework cost), only partly addresses corporate water risks, and largely Section 3 proposes a new water valuation framework in light ignores basin-level risk mitigation or value creation. Unlike of recent focus on water risk and water stewardship. Water traditional water management, water stewardship helps to is valued di erently by the private sector, governments, and maximize long-term shareholder value (as well as social value). civil society as seen in the gure below. Each stakeholder has a Companies are therefore encouraged to push their response di erent language or discipline to talk about the value of water e orts, via water stewardship, to the right and top of the from nance to economics to others. Furthermore, corporate valuation framework to maximize water value. water value is nested within economic, social and ecological water value. It is also able to distinguish between the price, cost Section 4. Comprehensive metrics to understand how water affects shareholder value and value of water, since a focus on the former two (especially price) results in signi cant undervaluation of water in corporate Section 4 looks at how the private sector can comprehensively decision making.. take into account how water a ects corporate shareholder value and use this information to inform their management practices Water valuation is linked to uncertainty (i.e., water risk), and demonstrate value creation and preservation to their which manifests at various scales and is informed by di erent various audiences (from shareholders to local communities). disciplines using di erent audience-speci c methodologies. e measures derive from the valuation framework and are Both time and space are linked to water value (see Figure B). structured around a modi ed income statement and balance To e ectively communicate water value, it is key to understand sheet (as seen in Figures D and E). Employed together, they which elds (e.g., nance, economics, etc.) are relevant to your outline not only how facilities can better measure how water audience and how those elds are impacted by uncertainty. FIGURE B. How valuation is affected by uncertainty UNCERTAIN VALUATION INAPPROPRIATE: Uncertainty implies incomplete information (i.e., some or all of the relevant FUTURE VALUE information is missing). Normally there is minimal accounting for such water-related value. INFORMED BY: COMPLEXITY THEORY, SCENARIO MODELLING INFORMED BY: HISTORY, GEOLOGY, ETC. (limited valuation) (longer term social and natural sciences) ACCOUNTED FOR VIA RISK-BASED WATER-RELATED VALUE: Risk implies partial information (i.e., some or all of the relevant information is stochastic). A limited number of future-looking water-related value metrics/tools exist. INFORMED BY: SOCIOLOGY, NATURAL HAZARD INFORMED BY: FINANCE INFORMED BY: AND DISASTER RESEARCH, HYDROLOGY, ETC. AND ACTUARIAL SCIENCE ECONOMETRICS (social and natural sciences) PRESENT WATER-RELATED VALUE: Certainty implies perfect information (i.e., all relevant information is known). Several existing metrics/tools address some elements of water-related value. PRESENT VALUE INFORMED BY: FINANCE AND INFORMED BY: NEO- INFORMED BY: ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING CLASSICAL ECONOMICS AND STUDY OF WELL-BEING CERTAIN VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 2 FIGURE C. Overlaying corporate management and stewardship CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL VALUE FACILITY) VALUE CREATION/LOSS FROM (WELL-BEING) DERIVED CREATED/LOST BY CREATION/LOSS FROM WATER USE FOR GOODS FROM HUMAN HYDROLOGICAL WATER USE AND SERVICES WATER USE SYSTEMS UNCERTAINTY OUT OF SCOPE (NON-VALUATION-BASED APPROACHES) COMPANY-RELATED WATER RISK BASIN-RELATED WATER RISK (Physical, Regulatory, Reputational) WATER RISK RISK -ri ks M and at is sk iti p e- r r ga ro lu te te tec va wa s b ts ed d as sh ar ate in ar sh rel -re ed Saves/ cts in- la va sha Save te lu builds te s ro s ba dw e CERTAINTY red s/b present wa uild at -at- d p te ter s pr shared er ris an itiga -re es lat ent water- ris k ed ks M val related VALUE TO THE FACILITY ue value VALUE TO THE BASIN CORPORATE WATER MANAGEMENT CORPORATE WATER STEWARDSHIP RESPONSE: Includes RESPONSE: Tends to focus on water awareness of water issues, understanding of impact at various procurement costs (efficiency) and avoiding scales, internal and collective action, as well as governance pollution fines with limited water-risk mitigation engagement to protect and build value at various scales. a ects costs, revenues, assets and liabilities, but also provide a Section 5. Exploring water tools and case studies using template for companies to demonstrate how water stewardship the Water Valuation Framework can deliver (and document) shareholder and stakeholder value Section 5 explores how some of the existing water valuation in an accessible format. tools account for the water valuation elements as outlined In undertaking a more robust approach to water valuation that in the report. is mapping exercise indicates a signi cant is consistent with existing nancial accounting methods, not number of gaps in the e orts to date to fully capture the value only are managers able to identify areas to increase shareholder of water and provides a template for an improved pathway value, but they are also better able to demonstrate how they are forward to improve water valuation. Nearly 40 di erent water contributing to social value creation (or mitigating social value valuation case studies were gathered and then mapped onto loss) through the enhancement or preservation of public assets. the framework to determine which areas of water valuation is tracking enables companies to strengthen community are receiving the majority of the attention. Unsurprisingly, the relations and thereby mitigate reputational and regulatory water majority of e orts to date have focused on cost-savings (via risks. erefore while the right side of the above gures (value traditional e ciency-minded water management), along with to the basin) is not currently accounted for on balance sheets or some focus on impacts to sales. income statements, tracking broader-scale water-value elements e key conclusion from the assessment of existing e orts is still enables improved management. that while there are numerous methods and tools applied to 3 FIGURE D. HIGHLY UNCERTAIN (RISK) A balance sheet perspective of water valuation Corporate Corporate water-related, Current, non- Water-related Corporate Unaccounted- water- natural capital (green current and intangible assets water-related for social related built infrastructure) current and contingent social value liability from capital (grey non-current assets water-related asset facility-driven infrastructure) liabilities impairment of non-current Current Community Brand public assets assets corporate goodwill value water assets RISK FACTORS AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES LISTED BELOW Frequency and scale of cost changes (all, especially taxes, water / energy / commodity pricing, asset damage) due to changes in supply and demand (incl. climate change) Infrastructure Future Ecological Water-related Value of Value of Social value Future water- amortization market impairment (or future liabilities future future impairment or related facility- and damage/ value of enhancement) (accounted community brand enhancement driven impacts write-offs water of natural for—e.g., future relations value/ of corporate on societal reserves capital fines) goodwill assets asset value Value of grey Current Value of Water-related Value of no Brand Social value Present water- infrastructure market natural current operational value of publicly- related facility- assets value of capital (green corporate interruption accessible, driven societal water infrastructure) liabilities from Goodwill water-related liabilities reserves assets (to the (accounted community natural capital (unaccounted- HIGHLY CERTAIN facility) for—e.g., fines) concerns for public asset Social value externalities) of grey infrastructure VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN FIGURE E. An income statement perspective of water valuation HIGHLY UNCERTAIN (RISK) Water-related Water-related Water-related Water-related Revenue Value of social Unaccounted operations and administration regulatory financial costs impacts from benefits from for facility- maintenance costs costs water issues corporate driven, costs water use water-related societal costs RISK FACTORS AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE COSTS AND REVENUES LISTED BELOW Frequency and scale of cost changes due to changes in supply and demand (and climate change) • License to grow • Ability to grow • Infrastructure • Cost of water- • Water-related • Financing costs • New/expanded • Value of facility’s • Societal costs renewal, related illness emergencies/ (factoring in water-sensitive water-related of externalities amortization (WASH) markets spills/cleanup water risk natural capital (including • Input material • Portion of premium) • Product contributions public procurement costs • Water-related water-related fines • Water-related innovation • Social value infrastructure • Cost of secondary treatment (in/out) legal costs insurance costs (water-related) provision and natural (compliance and • Water- • Cost of water related public • Ecosystem from grey capital) compensation) service revenues procurement infrastructure infrastructure (volume) • Portion of • Product premium water-related charges (if • Value of • Cost of energy to due to water move/heat/cool engineering costs applicable) water-related stewardship/CSR economic and water • Portion of water- • Taxes • Current water- community • Cost of water related CSR HIGHLY CERTAIN treatment (quality) dependent contributions costs (programs/ revenue/value • Facility cleaning/ disclosure/ (e.g., jobs, taxes/ sanitation costs creation m3 water, etc. certification) VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 4 the sphere of water valuation, to date, no water valuation tool 4. When making financial decisions, consider more has been entirely comprehensive while also remaining practical than just the price of water. for business. Furthermore, case studies suggest that business Ensure the tools and methods used in various ways in continues to focus on operational savings and immediate which water a ects costs and revenues across operations and revenue impacts, which are only a limited portion of the water- maintenance, administration, regulations, and nance. related value. Other aspects of water value appear to receive far less attention, such as water-related administrative costs, value in 5. Learn about, and engage in, water stewardship to more fully capture water-related value. natural capital assets, nancial risk premiums, future ability to Traditional water management with its focus on water prices operate/grow, and product innovation. not only leaves value on the table, but it can also further exacerbate risks and erode long-term value at multiple scales. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the above three sections and insight gained, the 6. Share with investors how water stewardship creates and preserves value. paper then concludes with a number of recommendations for In your annual report, communicate with shareholders companies: about how you are undertaking water risk assessments to 1. Understand water’s value to different audiences. maximize shareholder value through water stewardship. Understand how water creates value for di erent audiences, WWF and IFC believe the water valuation framework and the and employ appropriate metrics for appropriate audiences. insights from this report provide a key missing piece to date: In particular, pay attention to corporate-controlled natural connecting water to shareholder value, water risk and water capital assets which may hold material future value to stewardship. Both IFC and WWF will continue to be active corporate audiences, and do provide present value to society in this space and are committed to exploring opportunities to (as well as also a ect present brand value). Furthermore, enhance existing tools to ensure they meet business and societal understand your impacts and dependencies on publicly- needs. We invite and encourage companies to begin to employ controlled natural capital assets and take advantage of the framework and metrics outlined here to take action on water standardized approaches such as the Natural Capital Protocol. for society and nature, while simultaneously bene tting their bottom lines. Ultimately, improved accounting for the value of 2. Understand how risk and uncertainty impacts the water bene ts shareholders, local economies, societal well-being, value of water. and helps to ensure the health of freshwater ecosystems. Understand how variables and potentially changing conditions impact the future value of water. Consider how basin and corporate water risks a ect the value of your facilities and your company. If you have not already done so, conduct a water risk assessment of the portfolio of your operations to understand water-related materiality. 3. Include water-related value in your balance sheet and income statement and discuss both water risk and stewardship response in your annual report. Account for water-related assets beyond grey infrastructure; for the estimated future value of groundwater reserves; for the value of green infrastructure; and for the value of the intangible social capital (community relations/brand value) that relates to reputational risk. Select measures that are important to key internal and external audiences, and use these metrics to build better business cases for water stewardship. 5 Worker at waster water treatment facility. Manila, Philippines. CREDIT: Danilo Pinzon / World Bank 1 | INTRODUCTION Around the world, from developing to industrialized countries, Creating the right incentives for people, governments and water availability and quality is an ever increasing challenge. businesses to better value water, and, in turn, ensure that e World Economic Forum now ranks water as the greatest markets recognize shareholder value creation through water risk impacting the world’s economy—re ecting private sector stewardship responses will require many strategies. ere has concern over waters ability to a ect material risk. Water is a to be a shift from traditional market-based water pricing that precious resource that needs to be better managed for survival undervalues water and results in perverse use that damages the and growth. environment, society, and economies, and erodes shareholder Beyond business, water is perceived by di erent audiences value. Failure to do so runs the risk of undermining economic as a commodity with a market value, a social good, an development, diminishing quality of life, and increasing business environmental integrity underpinning, and/or a fundamental risk, as well as damaging critical ecosystems. human right. Governments increasingly recognize the is report reviews the current situation of valuation and o ers importance of water in the economy for traditional growth, a new framework to understand water valuation, risk, and as well as ecosystem services and the costs of poor water stewardship. Speci cally, the report: management, in particular on human health. Civil society values SECTION 2: Provides a rationale for why a new water for basic health and sanitation concerns, as well as for valuation framework is needed spiritual and recreational reasons. In short, as water resources have come under increasing pressure, there is a growing interest SECTION 3: Provides a new water valuation to better understand water from both risk and the valuation framework perspectives. SECTION 4: Uses the new framework to show Despite the urgent need for a shared discussion on the value of how to better measure value into the format of water, stakeholders often talk past one another when discussing traditional financial statements its importance. e concepts of the price of water, the cost of water, and the value of water are often used interchangeably SECTION 5: Draws on the proposed water when in reality, they di er considerably. Value can be monetary valuation framework to put current tools and as well as social (i.e., non-monetary). Value can be proprietary to case studies in context a single water user (e.g., a farm or a factory) or shared amongst many water users within a river basin. is report advances the thinking and connections between a number of parallel debates. Based on sound risk and valuation Di erent audiences also employ di erent disciplines to engage information, it should help to move water stewardship practice in valuation: e language and approaches employed in nance along. By connecting water risk to valuation tools and then to provides valuation approaches that resonate for corporate stewardship, greater business cases for meaningful stewardship managers and investors. Conversely, the eld of economics sees can and will be made once risks are seen in nancial terms for valuation at a larger societal (often national to local government) business—ones that make the connections between use, actions, level to understand how water is employed to create value failure to act, and opportunities for growth. through the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Finally, emerging research and disciplines explore less tangible concepts such as happiness and well-being, and explore the social value of numerous elements in our world. e result is that various tools, methods, and disciplines have created a degree of confusion in the landscape of water valuation. 7 2 | WATER VALUATION: VARYING PERSPECTIVES AND THE NEED FOR CLARITY Water is valued by di erent groups through di erent means $50B in the 1980s, average nancial costs of extreme weather and metrics. e diversity of perspectives, and the shared events (most of which generate water-related impacts) have aspect of water (i.e., water can be both a public good and a trended upwards to nearly $200B, with 2011 representing the private good), means that the landscape of water valuation can historical high of over $400B.2 Increasingly, insurance (and be confusing. e following three perspectives brie y outline re-insurance) companies are responding to this reality. In 2014, the main views on how water is valued and provide the basis the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which o ers for a framework. government-subsidized policies for households and businesses threatened by oods in the United States, indicated that rates 2.1 | THE PERSPECTIVE OF BUSINESS: WATER will rise 18 percent a year until it reaches levels that would AS A FINANCIAL COST, LIABILITY AND RISK re ect the actual risk from ooding.3 Perhaps owing to the fact that accurate water valuation is in the best interest of the Overall, business has tended to value water either as a resource insurance (and re-insurance) sector, this one area remains a well- input (i.e., the cost to withdraw or consume water as determined developed element of water valuation within the private sector. by water prices) or as a liability (i.e., the cost to treat pollution or mitigate regulatory nes), with linkages between water risk and water value being largely anecdotal. Indeed, a scan of 2.2 | THE PERSPECTIVE OF GOVERNMENT: case studies (see Section 5.2) suggests that business generally WATER AS A (PRICED) PUBLIC GOOD AND perceives water as a cost or as a risk to sales and regulatory COST TO BE MANAGED compliance. In contrast to business, government tends to value water e concept of water risk has gained considerable traction through pricing signals as both a basic right and a mechanism to in recent years, as companies are experiencing detrimental attract business (e.g., low prices to provide water for all citizens, impacts. According to 2014 data from CDP, 53 percent of ensure agricultural producers are cost-competitive, or attract companies already experience signi cant nancial impacts investment through low-cost energy), while simultaneously from water, an increase of 40 percent from data reported using public tax dollars to correct for externalities (e.g., covering in 2011.1 Detrimental nancial costs are a function of the costs of lost crops during droughts, ood damage, water manifesting water risks and are wide-ranging in their scope pollution remediation, etc.). In other words, government water and nature. For example, physical water scarcity can limit resource planning impacts economic productivity. development and production or increase prices; water quality Governments are slowly realising that economic competitiveness impairment can lead to higher costs and lost productivity. in a water-constrained environment has implications on Companies have spent money to modify management and national water endowments, management of those resources, technology as new regulations are implemented. Poor public and their ability to “hedge” for their own supply—through food engagement has also resulted in local-to-global reputational (virtual water) or bulk supply. e allocation of good-quality impacts on brands. To highlight just a few examples of these water is a matter of optimizing use for social and economic incidents, a series of cases are outlined below illustrating how bene ts. In this regard, the public sector has wrestled for many water is already costing businesses (see Annex A.2). years to nd the right ways to value water, with e orts largely Despite the recent focus on water risks and their potential to revolving around water market pricing signals. Governments a ect corporate value, e orts to link water risk and valuation must reconcile, on the one side, the fundamental human right have been noticeably absent, with one notable exception: of its citizens to access to safe and a ordable drinking water and extreme weather events. From a global annual average of around adequate sanitation and, on the other side, the need to provide 1 CDP (2014) Global Water Report. Available online: https://www.cdp.net/en-US/Pages/events/2014/cdp-water-report.aspx. 2 World Bank (2013) Building Resilience: Integrating Climate and Disaster Risk into Development l. Available online: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ bitstream/handle/10986/16761/826480WP0v10Bu0130Box37986200OUO090.pdf?sequence=1. 3 FEMA (2014) Changes to the National Flood Insurance Program – What to Expect. Available online: http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1403633987258-7a50 4b5ba12674c0f36adb67fe103ee7/Changes_to_the_NFIP_What_to_Expect.pdf. 8 price signals that incentivize sustainable water use and eliminate the value of water to society. Maintaining low water prices harmful practices. Adding to the complexity of pricing, food helps to ensure access to water for drinking, sanitation, food and energy security is also linked to water pricing policies (i.e., and energy, and yet it can also result in ine cient use and poor water pricing a ects food and energy costs). allocation decisions. Certain societal values, such as health California provides a strong example of the costs of water on and recreation, can be put into monetary metrics (as noted in the economy. While making up only 2 percent of the economy, Section 2.5, which tie dollars to societal values). Some of these agriculture in California consumes 80 percent of the state’s costs, such as the cost of treating a patient with dysentery, or water and a large percentage of its electricity via irrigation. e the cost of paying to take a river rafting trip with adequate State Water Project (SWP) which moves water throughout environmental ows, are reasonably well-suited to being central and southern California, largely for the purposes of monetized. However, the value of water for spiritual purposes, irrigation, annually costs approximately $840 million USD to such as bathing in the Ganges or for the historical preservation operate, with agricultural users paying only one-sixth what cities of a famous river crossing, is much more di cult to quantify do. e SWP, also consumes some 11,500 GWh at a value of monetarily. roughly $500 million USD. us, while California’s agricultural Discussions, methods and tools aimed at evaluating ecosystem sector contributes some $42 billion dollars to the Californian bene ts, costs and services have been in play for many years. economy, agriculture also costs taxpayers billions of dollars in Initially these approaches were designed to bring greater clarity water and energy subsidies. us, a narrow perspective of the and awareness of the “un-priced” bene ts that economies value of water is costing the California economy hundreds of and society derive from natural systems. Over time, there has millions of dollars per year. been greater acceptance of the role that ecosystem services Some governments have also started to see the value of natural play—as well as further development of practices which capital, also referred to as “green infrastructure,” for the bring “natural accounting” into business decision making. ecosystem services it provides. Indeed, ecosystem services are Recent years have seen the emergence of not only key reports more relevant to governments than businesses since not only (e.g., Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, or MEA, and e do governments often control vast tracts of land (i.e., they own Economics of the Environment and Biodiversity, or TEEB) the natural capital that provides the ecosystem services), but they but also standardization e orts (e.g., Natural Capital Protocol). also su er the costs in icted by externalities when such ecosystem e Natural Capital Protocol de nes business natural capital services are impaired. For example, both the United States accounting as “the process of systematically recording a business’ (Conservation Reserve Program)4 and China (Green for Grain)5 natural capital impacts and dependencies, assets and liabilities in o er payment for ecosystem service (PES) schemes for water- a consistent and comparable way.” related ecosystem services to the tune of $1.6B and $2.9B per It is important to stress that these natural capital valuation year, respectively. ere is an increasing recognition of the large initiatives are an important element of fully accounting for costs of inaction in maintaining water-based ecosystem services water value. Whether right or wrong, natural capital accounting and, in general, managing water properly at a basin level. remains focused on how businesses impact others’ (monetized social) value more than how natural capital a ects shareholder 2.3 | THE PERSPECTIVE OF CIVIL SOCIETY: value. ere are several reasons for this: WATER AS A SET OF SOCIAL VALUES • Ecosystem services are rarely material in terms of income (e.g., funds received by businesses from ecosystem Water clearly provides a signi cant—but often di cult to service payment schemes), and accordingly, few companies monetize—value to society and nature. is is also of relevance have placed such natural capital assets on their balance to businesses, since local communities and environmental non- sheets. governmental organizations (NGOs) in turn a ect a company’s reputational water risk. • e liabilities stemming from impairment of such freshwater ecosystem services are rarely borne by At the core of the challenge around societal water valuation is businesses, leading to limited engagement by the business the fact that monetary, market pricing of water does not re ect community in the space of ecosystem services. 4 USDA (2015) Conservation Reserve Program. Available online: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/ index Last accessed: July 29, 2015. 5 Liu, C. and Wu, B. (2010) Grain for Green Programme in China: policy making and implementation? e University of Nottingham, China Policy Institute, Brie ng Series, Issue 60. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cpi/documents/brie ngs/brie ng-60-reforestation.pdf. 9 • In many cases, businesses operate downstream in approach) changes with both the spatial scale (from facility catchments and are the bene ciaries of upstream to basin), and level of certainty. As such, for the purposes of ecosystem services, rather than controlling the large tracts this report, WBCSD’s de nition of water valuation has been of land that generate ecosystem services, which, in turn, are modi ed to the following: often publicly controlled. Water valuation seeks to determine the monetary and non- For the above reasons, despite a pressing need for greater monetary value of water-related stocks and ows at various incorporation, natural capital accounting continues to remain of spatial scales to di erent audiences under varying levels marginal relevance to the business community. of certainty. For businesses speci cally, water valuation seeks to determine the monetary value of assets, liabilities, 2.4 | CONFUSION IN THE VALUATION revenues and costs at the facility and corporate levels under TERMINOLOGY LANDSCAPE varying levels of risk. Water valuation is an area full of buzz-words, jargon and Value-at-Risk terminology wherein meanings vary for di erent audiences. e second phrase worth noting is “value-at-risk.” ere are two “Value-at-risk,” “stranded assets,” “water in the economy,” interpretations of the value-at-(water) risk term: (1) a colloquial, and the “true cost of water” are all regularly employed in general reference to value being at risk from water issues (e.g., water stewardship debates, yet have di erent interpretations scarcity a ects business operations and, therefore, value), and (2) depending on the audience. A couple of terms identi ed below a speci c, nance-based statistical methodology developed to seek to clarify some common misunderstandings (see Annex A.1 evaluate the chances of losing a certain amount of money over for further terminology). a certain period. is latter, speci c methodology, sometimes Water Valuation expressed as VaR (Value-at-Risk), calculates the maximum loss expected (or worst-case scenario) on an investment, over a given e World Business Council for Sustainable Development time period and given a speci ed degree of con dence.7 erefore, (WBCSD) de nes water valuation as: it is important to clarify when discussing “value-at-risk” in the “In the strictest sense, water valuation is about assessing water space as to whether the speaker is referring very generally to the worth of water to di erent stakeholders under a set the concept, or to the speci c statistical methodology. of speci c circumstances. However, in this Guide ( e WBCSD Guide), water valuation is used loosely to mean 2.5 | A REVIEW OF EXISTING WATER ‘water-related valuation.’ is includes determining VALUATION FRAMEWORKS values, prices and/or costs associated with six categories of water-related values and impacts. ese comprise the Water valuation has a long history, and the following review three main types of water value (i.e., o -stream, in-stream focuses on e orts in recent years to capture water valuation and groundwater values), the hydrological service values frameworks for business audiences in particular. Most of these provided by non-water habitats, non-water impacts e orts have tended to focus on valuation for the purposes of associated with water use, and impacts from extreme pricing (i.e., setting residential, industrial and agricultural water water-related events.” 6 rates) or the value of water as it relates to ecosystem services via its total economic value. e following is a short review of some Such a de nition is informed by, and is tailored for, their key publications. business-minded audience and is limited to the categories outlined in the WBCSD report. is report sought to go e World Business Council for Sustainable Development beyond these categories and provide a framework that outlined (WBCSD) has led work on water valuation to help clarify this water valuation for various audiences. Furthermore, this report space for business audiences. In 2012 and 2013, WBCSD puts forth an argument that the value (and the valuation produced two guides, “Water Valuation: building the business case”8 and the “Business Guide to Water Valuation”9. For the 6 WBCSD (2013) Business Guide to Water Valuation. Available online: http://www.wbcsd.org/Pages/EDocument/EDocumentDetails. aspx?ID=15801&NoSearchContextKey=true. 7 Investopedia (2015) An introduction to Value-at-risk. Available online: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/04/092904.asp 8 WBCSD (2012) Water Valuation: building the business case. Available online: http://www.wbcsd.org/Pages/EDocument/EDocumentDetails. aspx?ID=15099&NoSearchContextKey=true. 9 WBCSD (2013) Business Guide to Water Valuation. Available online: http://www.wbcsd.org/Pages/EDocument/EDocumentDetails. aspx?ID=15801&NoSearchContextKey=true. 10 FIGURE 1. WBCSD Water Valuation Framework ENHANCE DECISION MAKING 1 • Improve sustainable decision making • Inform mindsets, behaviors and actions • Enhance collaboration management 2 3 4 5 MAINTAIN REDUCE COSTS MANAGE RISKS ENHANCE AND ENHANCE • Justify natural • Secure supplies REPUTATION REVENUES infrastructure • Evaluate risks • Enhance transparency • Enhance investment • Maintain license to and reporting • Maintain license to operate planning operate • Demonstrate shared • Evaluate new revenue • Improve operation streams value efficiency • Demonstrate • Improve pricing • Inform social and sustainability • Justify demand for products environmental liabilities/ leadership • Focus product development reduce insurance premiums latter publication, WBCSD established its own water valuation Another commonly referenced approach—re ected in both framework (Figure 1). e WBCSD report is intended to help the MEA and TEEB—is the Total Economic Valuation (TEV) businesses undertake a water valuation exercise and provide framework (Figure 2) referenced in a 2010 publication.10 e guidance on scoping, planning and embedding valuation into TEV approach adopts a more theoretical and economics-based business processes across areas of operations, marketing and approach to valuation. It distinguishes between direct use value reporting. It provides an extensive number of case studies with (which is often re ected in market values, even if only partially a heavy focus on valuation of water-related ecosystem services. re ective of the value of water), and non-use value. TEV e WBCSD framework outlines ve areas in which water also focuses on the use of valuation techniques that convert a ects value, with one of these (enhance decision making) cross- non-use value into monetary forms through methods such as cutting over the other four. contingent valuation. While this framework is a useful categorization of how water As a theoretical framework, TEV is useful to explore the ways a ects value within companies, it provides little rationale for the in which something such as water can be valued. However, basis of these divisions and tends to focus on select corporate it usually tends to be inaccessible to business audiences since values, while at the same time mixing scales. e WBCSD rms do not receive monetary value from non-use values water valuation framework is presented here in the context and rarely account for indirect value, preferring engineered of the proposed Water Valuation Framework to contrast the solutions. While option values, especially for water use, are approaches. In contrast to the WBCSD reports, this report is beginning to receive greater attention (e.g., via the value of water focused on a framework and analysis of e orts. Our speci c allocation trading in market such as Australia), this area is only guidance to companies undertaking water valuation e orts beginning to penetrate business thinking. Moreover, TEV does will be addressed through improvements to the IFC Financial not explore the way in which water (or water-related issues) Valution Tool and the WWF Water Risk Filter. a ects shareholder value and is not presented in a format that 10 WorleyParsons Canada Ltd. and Economics for the Environment Consultancy Ltd (2010) Water Valuation Guidance Document, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment PN 1443 ISBN 978-1-896997-92-6 PDF. Available at: http://www.ccme.ca/ les/Resources/water/water_valuation_en_1.0.pdf. 11 FIGURE 2. Total Economic Value Framework TOTAL ECONOMIC VALUE USE VALUE NON-USE VALUE DIRECT INDIRECT OPTION EXISTENCE ALTRUISTIC BEQUEST USE USE Consumptive Ecosystem Future direct Knowledge Knowledge of Knowledge e.g. drinking services and indirect of continued use of resource of passing water, e.g. nutrient use values existence of by current on resource irrigation, cycling, resource generation to future manufacturing habitats, generations flood control Non- Consumptive e.g. recreation business managers can readily adapt. So, while it is a useful • clari es where di erent tools, terms, methods, and framework for government in considering how to set water initiatives fall within this landscape; prices and govern water resources, until such time as companies • provides a comprehensive approach to capturing all of are compensated for other use and non-use values, TEV is of the various aspects of value that water in uences. is is less use to corporate audiences. For more information on TEV particularly important given the failure of many previous approaches, see Brander et al. (2010).11 e orts to address the full range of water value; Both of these frameworks are useful but limited in their scope • informs a clear methodology for business that can better to water valuation. While the WBCSD framework o ers some articulate the value of water-related issues, and put this speci cs, the TEV framework is relatively comprehensive. As value into nancial accounting terms to communicate how a result, they both fail to provide business audiences all the water links to assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses; and speci cs needed for decision making. e combination of • is su ciently exible to work not just for business inadequate frameworks, terminology confusion, and variable audiences, but also for public sector economic development perspectives formed the basis for the need for a new water agencies, as well as those interested in assessing the social valuation framework. Speci cally, the above issues highlight the and environmental value of water. need for a water valuation framework that: • distinguishes the di erent perspectives and approaches to valuation; • distinguishes current value from future value that is exposed to risks; Brander, L., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Martín-López, B., and Verma, M. (2010) Chapter 5 e economics of valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, in e 11 Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: e Ecological and Economic Foundations. Available online: http://www.teebweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/D0- Chapter-5- e-economics-of-valuing-ecosystem-services-and-biodiversity.pdf. 12 Outflow from the Jajmau sewage and effluent treatment plant in Kanpur. CREDIT: WWF 3 | WATER VALUATION FRAMEWORK e following water valuation framework links various concepts along the left side of the spectrum tends to be rooted in nancial such as water risk, water stewardship and water value, in an accounting. e ort to add clarity in this space. By “framework” we mean As value expands to the right, there is a tendency to shift a visual diagram which can separate, or distinguish, di erent between disciplines to inform valuation. e rst shift is from aspects of valuation to illustrate between approaches, methods, nance to economics. Moreover, there is a shift between sub- tools, etc. Fundamentally, the valuation framework is based disciplines within economics: from neo-classical economics to along two axes: certainty and scale of where value manifests. environmental and ecological economics, and ultimately into e “certainty” axis looks at the likelihood of water-related interdisciplinary areas such as the study of societal well-being. value manifesting, while the “scale” axis looks at the spatial e nal shift is from social sciences to the arts (philosophy) and distribution of where the water-related value lands. natural sciences (also called ecological integrity, which would be To break down the framework, the following section is captured under societal bene ts/social sciences). organized into three sub-sections: A derivative of Figure 3 (Figure 4) can also help to shed light on • Section 3.1 discusses di erent ways of distinguishing the commonly used terminology. e rst term is the price of water, value of water. It explores the horizontal axis and highlights which is the charge dictated typically through government how scale can be used to di erentiate between proprietary regulations via a local water service provider such as a public value versus shared societal value at the basin level. or private sector water utility. Current price is positioned on • Section 3.2 discusses how risk and uncertainty factor the framework in the lower left, where price is certain and into the value of water. It explores the vertical axis and experienced very much by the facility. Furthermore, water highlights how the level of certainty of value can distinguish price can be conceptualized both in terms of current price, but impacts on current nancial positions. also expected future prices, which is signalled by rate increases, • Section 3.3 seeks to demonstrate how water users— as well as longer-term, less-certain prices. Such prices, which facilities, companies, or governments—can measure and remain on the left of the framework, are still felt by the facility, harness value at multiple scales and levels of certainty but the level of future water prices shifts the shorter- and longer- through water stewardship. term prices vertically up the framework. e second term is the cost of water, which is the total cost 3.1 | NESTED VALUE (X-AXIS) linked to water withdrawals and discharges, as well as other costs. e cost of water is linked to the price of water, but it To walk through the Water Valuation Framework, it is best to covers all of the areas where costs are increased due to water begin with the X-axis (horizontal), which di erentiates the scale use. is includes costs such as tertiary treatment, energy of water value. As one moves from left to right, water-related costs to move/heat water, and operational water-related costs. value goes from proprietary to shared, on the far right. e Furthermore, numerous administrative costs can also be a ected water-related value of interest to business is generally found on by water use. ese so-called “soft costs” typically increase as the left-hand side of the axis. Sub-components of this sphere are water-related challenges increase and, accordingly, should be explored in Section V. Such proprietary water-related value nests thought of as water-related costs. ese include administration within economic value, which in turn, nests within both societal costs, sta ng, and costs linked to water: reporting, disclosure, and ecological value. Of note is that facilities tend to have an legal, regulatory compliance, engineering, environmental even greater focus on input prices, production/infrastructure management, to name a few. Lastly, capital expenditures, and regulatory costs, and e ciency, while corporate managers typically on infrastructure, are part of the cost of water. While need to consider not just facility costs, but other business aspects ood mitigation engineering or drought tolerance technology such as sales revenue impacts and intangibles such as brand may not always be accounted for as a water-cost, failing to value. Goodwill and other intangibles, which sometimes show manage water risks typically drives up such water-related capital up on a rm’s balance sheet, tend to be further to the right than expenditure costs. the cost of inputs to a production facility. In general, valuation 14 FIGURE 3. The value of water to a company, the economy, society and nature UNCERTAIN CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE CREATION/ SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL VALUE FACILITY) VALUE LOSS FROM WATER USE FOR (WELL-BEING) CREATED/LOST BY CREATION/LOSS FROM GOODS AND SERVICES DERIVED FROM HYDROLOGICAL WATER USE HUMAN SYSTEMS National, regional and local WATER USE Companies (and governments are interested Ecological systems their facilities) derive in economic (shared) value Humanity uses water are tied to all proprietary value (and manage water-related for various purposes, hydrological systems through water use, costs/externalities), which are which range from and ultimately which is enhanced or lost affected by water use decisions, incalculable values provide a broad based on their industry including allocation. (e.g., basic health array of services to (corporate risk), their and survival) to society while also corporate response Corporations link to economic personal enjoyment maintaining natural (water management or value creation via jobs/taxes; (e.g., recreation) and systems. stewardship) and external also, corporations suffer from economic use. forces (basin risk). health costs, cleanup costs, etc. MONETARY VALUE ACCOUNTED FOR VIA SOCIAL VALUE CERTAIN VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN FIGURE 4. Understanding the difference between the price, cost and value of water UNCERTAIN VALUE OF VALUE OF WATER TO THE WATER TO THE VALUE OF WATER COMPANY ECONOMY CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL FACILITY) VALUE CREATION / LOSS FROM (WELL-BEING) VALUE CREATED/ Future CREATION / LOSS WATER USE FOR GOODS DERIVED FROM LOST BY water FROM WATER USE AND SERVICES HUMAN HYDROLOGICAL price FUTURE WATER USE SYSTEMS (long- term) WATER COSTS Future water price (short- term) CURRENT Current COST OF price of WATER TO water THE SITE to the (AND CO.) facility CERTAIN VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 15 It is important to note that water costs are not only certain and well (i.e., the full horizontal and full vertical axis) covers all of proprietary (i.e., located in the lower left) but also broader in these areas, along with an array of non-monetary measures. is scale, extending from the facility to the corporate sphere; and are realm sometimes employs more methods of valuation, such as also exposed to uncertainty and risk (higher on the framework, contingent valuation, to shift valuation into the “monetary” and further to the right). For example, poor water management economic sphere. may cause a spill which not only involves cleanup costs to the What is critical to emphasize is that the price of water, while facility, but also may result in brand damage and, therefore, being quite well-known (and often quite low), is only a very public relations costs for the rm. limited element of value (both on the X-axis and Y-axis). When Finally, we get to the concept of the value of water, which people think of how much they pay for water and consider that employs an even more comprehensive view, and for companies cost as the “value of water,” it does the economy, society and it covers costs and revenues. Like price and cost, value includes nature a disservice by leaving value unrecognized. both present (certain) value as well as future (uncertain) value e implication of this framing is that water-related value has a that may be at risk. Since income and assets are a ected even tendency to be linked across scales and is accounted for via di erent more by corporate and economic actions, the corporate “value forms of value, with businesses often focusing on a very limited form of water” is again broader in its sphere (a greater area to the of monetary value (i.e., the price of water). right, and is also exposed to uncertainty and risk). In addition to corporate value of water, the value of water also 3.2 | RISK AND UNCERTAINTY (Y-AXIS) changes depending on the scale of the evaluation. e “value Shifting from the horizontal to the vertical Y-axis, the of water” to the economy (i.e., water in the economy) captures framework also separates water-related value along the lines of how water creates both value and “drag” for the economy and certainty and risk (Figure 5). While certainty implies perfect would include measures ranging from GDP to the externalities information, uncertainty implies incomplete information. In paid for by taxpayers to remediate spills and respond to water- turn, risk implies partial information. Di erent disciplines borne diseases. have emerged that measure highly likely (i.e., certain) value Lastly, the total value of water, which covers not just value to such as nancial accounting, while others measure less certain the company and the economy, but to society and nature as FIGURE 5. How valuation is affected by uncertainty UNCERTAIN VALUATION INAPPROPRIATE: Uncertainty implies incomplete information (i.e., some or all of the relevant FUTURE VALUE information is missing). Normally there is minimal accounting for such water-related value. INFORMED BY: COMPLEXITY THEORY, SCENARIO MODELLING INFORMED BY: HISTORY, GEOLOGY, ETC. (limited valuation) (longer term social and natural sciences) ACCOUNTED FOR VIA RISK-BASED WATER-RELATED VALUE: Risk implies partial information (i.e., some or all of the relevant information is stochastic). A limited number of future-looking water-related value metrics/tools exist. INFORMED BY: SOCIOLOGY, NATURAL HAZARD INFORMED BY: FINANCE INFORMED BY: AND DISASTER RESEARCH, HYDROLOGY, ETC. AND ACTUARIAL SCIENCE ECONOMETRICS (social and natural sciences) PRESENT WATER-RELATED VALUE: Certainty implies perfect information (i.e., all relevant information is known). Several existing metrics/tools address some elements of water-related value. PRESENT VALUE INFORMED BY: FINANCE & INFORMED BY: NEO- INFORMED BY: ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING CLASSICAL ECONOMICS AND STUDY OF WELL-BEING CERTAIN VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 16 (i.e., risk-based) value, such as actuarial science. As we shift 3.3 | PUTTING TOGETHER THE PIECES: up the Y-axis into the realm of “unknowable” (i.e., complete RETHINKING WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE uncertainty), valuation techniques begin to break down FACE OF WATER RISK AND VALUATION because the error range (i.e., standard deviation) becomes too large to make valuation useful. us the greater the level 3.3.1. A brief overview of water risk of certainty, the more accurate and the more appropriate ere has been extensive discussion around the concept that valuation techniques become. is is not to say that valuation water poses not only reputational risks to companies, but more cannot be useful when exploring high levels of uncertainty, but immediate direct operational risks as well. Water risks exist at it should be treated with caution in such circumstances. a spatial level—such as at a river basin, for example—directly When combined with the horizontal and vertical axes, further linked to the conditions in that basin. Other risks may relate re nement at the various disciplines within the framework to speci c company pro les and performance. An overview of can be made. Companies tend to view water value from the types of water risk is given in Figure 6. perspective of nance, and, speci cally, nancial accounting. e typical focus of many companies is to assess basin-related Similarly, whereas neo-classical economics explores present risks, such as scarcity and pollution, and then to mitigate these economic activity through such measures as GDP, econometrics risks by in uencing the company itself. is can be done, has emerged to explore relationships in part to better understand for example, through improving water e ciency and water future-facing trends. Conversely, environmental economics quality. is approach may lower company-related risks, but explores how economic policy a ects the environment. not necessarily the basin-related risks and will almost always Governments tend to view water value from the perspective be insu cient to improve business risks driven by external of economics, tracking allocation of water resources via factors. In order to reach a level of greater risk management, a production, consumption, and transfer of value. Lastly, society company (or any stakeholder, for that matter) will require that values water from the perspective of well-being, which explores not only should their own house be in order (thereby addressing elements of happiness, while elds such as disaster research and some of their risks), but that they also engage in the external hydrological, and often climate-related modelling, explore how environment where other basin-related risks are present. In this uncertainty may a ect future human well-being. case, the focus lies in improving and supporting better basin FIGURE 6. Types of water risk COMPANY RELATED RISK BASIN RELATED RISK Linked to facility’s performance Linked to location of facility Water quantity (scarcity, flooding, Water quantity and quality issues and droughts) and quality (pollution) related to the performance of the PHYSICAL within the river basin and the impacts company and its supply chain RISK this might have on society and the environment Perceptions of water use, pollution Strength and enforcement of water and behaviour that have negative regulations and the consequences impacts on the company brand and REGULATORY of restrictions by public institutions; influence purchasing decisions. Public perceptions can emerge rapidly if RISK either felt through direct regulatory action or from neglect, blockages, or local aquatic systems and community failure access to water are affected. When the actions of the company The potential for changes in pricing, are poorly executed, understood REPUTATION supply, rights, standards, and license or communicated with local stakeholders and where perceptions RISK to operate, for a particular company or sector—or the lack of regulations. and brand suffer as a consequence 17 cooperation and dialogue, to engage with key stakeholders and of corporate water use. Whether it concerns water use by improve the general state of how the river basin is governed. drink manufacturers and bottled water companies, the is concept is referred as water stewardship. Almost always, a impact of East Africa’s cut ower industry, or the supply combination of internal and external action will be required to of Peruvian asparagus to UK supermarkets, greater media manage risks. coverage of water problems has given rise to business concern Physical water risk concerns the direct issues facing any over reputations and reactions in the market. Reputational operation because of changes in the ow, quality, or availability impacts have signi cant, long-term nancial implications for a of water. Examples include the output reductions brought on company and do not always need to be accompanied by legal by drought and water shortages in the United States, India, proceedings or material environmental impacts. Pakistan, and Brazil in 2011, when cotton prices reached ese experiences and one-o incidents have not necessarily an all-time high, prompting companies such as Gap to cut had the desired e ect of moving companies toward a more annual pro t forecasts by as much as 22 percent.12 Company enlightened and strategic path. Often, and even in the face of engagement with public water policy because of such physical signi cant nancial loss, water has remained mainly hidden risks includes the food and beverage industry concerned with within companies and failed to gain the necessary attention it production and agricultural water requirements, household deserves. As stated earlier in regard to CDP’s 2014 water risk chemical manufacturers concerned about negative water impacts report, while companies state that approximately two-thirds through their products’ use, and nancial institutions concerned of risks are expected to impact on both direct operations (65 about investment risk because of unreliable supplies to clients.13 percent) and supply chains (62 percent) now or within the next Regulatory risk drives businesses to protect their legal licence ve years, only 6 percent of companies have targets or goals for to operate through compliance with relevant legislation, and to community engagement, 4 percent for supply chain, 3 percent understand and in uence policies and regulations that apply for watershed management and 1 percent for transparency. No to their operations. On the one hand, companies voice the respondents set concrete targets or goals around public policy. concern that unless they “get their act together” on water at 3.3.2 A brief overview of water stewardship operational, strategic, and advocacy levels, they may face nes, prohibitive laws, loss of water access, and increasingly stringent As companies increasingly recognize the importance of water water regulation. On the other hand, they see the failure of public risks to business fundamentals, the interest in corporate water entities to regulate fairly, enforce laws, and create level playing stewardship has grown. More and more companies are realizing elds as obstacles to economic growth.14 ere is a wide variation that basin-related water risks (Figure 6) are impossible to in how companies engage with government over these issues, rectify through internal action (Figure 6, left) and that internal highlighting not only sectorial di erences in water stewardship e ciency is only one part of their response. but also the idea that many industries are favoured by government While there is still not a general consensus over a formal because of their contribution to the economy.15 A further issue de nition of water stewardship, the Alliance for Water is the apparent confusion about the nature and direction of Stewardship (AWS, 2011) de nes the concept as: “ e use of regulatory risk, with companies interpreting the lack of e ective, water that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable vociferous regulatory activity as either a boon or a bane. and economically bene cial, achieved through a stakeholder- Reputational risks a ect brand value and market share and inclusive process that involves site and catchment-based are associated with increased visibility of negative impacts actions. Good water stewards understand their own water use, on communities and ecosystems because of water use by catchment context and shared risk in terms of water governance, business.16 e growth of social media activism—where water balance, water quality and important water-related areas; images can move from eld to front page within minutes— and then engage in meaningful individual and collective actions has the potential to support much greater public scrutiny that bene t people and nature.” 12 Larson, W.M., Freedman, P.L., Passinsky, V., Grubb, E. and Adriaens, P. (2012) ‘Mitigating corporate water risk: Financial market tools and supply management’, Water Alternatives, vol 5, no 3, pp582–603. 13 Orr, S. and Cartwright, A. (2010) ‘Water scarcity risks: experience of the private sector’, in L. Martinez-Cortina, A. Garrido, and E. Lopez-Gunn (eds) Re-thinking Water and Food Security, CRC Press, London. 14 Porter, M.E. and Kramer, M.R. (2011) “Creating shared value: How to reinvent capitalism—and unleash a wave of innovation and growth”, Harvard Business Review, January-February, pp62–77. 15 Pegram, G., Orr, S. and Williams, C. (2009) Investigating Shared Risk in Water: Corporate Engagement with the Public Policy Process, WWF-UK, Surrey, UK. 16 Ibid. 18 WWF de nes water stewardship for business as a “progression resource management and taking action on behalf of other users. of increased improvement of water use and a reduction in the If IWRM is considered as actions by an authority mandated by water-related impacts of internal and value chain operations. More the state to manage water resources on behalf of all water users, importantly, it is a commitment to the sustainable management of then water stewardship can be considered as actions by water shared water resources in the public interest through collective action users themselves to contribute to the management of the shared with other businesses, governments, NGOs and communities.” resource towards public-good outcomes. Water stewardship ere has been a large movement, mainly through the UN Global is, therefore, about non-traditional, private actors increasingly Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, to bring clarity and guidance involving themselves in the management of the common pool— to water stewardship through reports and guidelines around public good regarding water. As a progression from IWRM, collective action, accounting, terminology and public policy. with its emphasis on participation, this shift can arguably be AWS also formed to ll a gap in market certi cation and capacity considered a success.17 building on water stewardship, while organisations like WWF As company attitudes and learning matured, there has been a shift now have well-established programmes seeking to leverage this from simple product LCA (life cycle assessments) to company business risk into substantive collective action at river-basin level. water footprints, to impact studies and, most recently, to water ere are questions from traditional water resource management risk analysis. Now with the emergence of a water valuation focus, on how water stewardship as a new paradigm is distinct from there is a need to illustrate how these pieces t together. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and its 3.3.3 Revisiting water risk and stewardship through foundational principles of equity, sustainability, and e ciency. the Water Valuation Framework e answer is that water stewardship embodies “taking care of something which one doesn’t own” or “of looking after an asset With a general overview of water risk and water stewardship, or resource on behalf of others.” At its core, water stewardship is these concepts can be placed in the context of the water di erentiated because of whom it infers is contributing to water valuation framework. Figure 7 then places water risk (from Figure 6) into this framework. FIGURE 7. Exploring how water stewardship preserves value at multiple scales UNCERTAINTY OUT OF SCOPE (NON-VALUATION-BASED APPROACHES) COMPANY-RELATED WATER RISK BASIN-RELATED WATER RISK (Physical, Regulatory, Reputational) WATER RISK RISK CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL VALUE FACILITY) VALUE CREATION / LOSS FROM (WELL-BEING) DERIVED CREATED/LOST BY CREATION / LOSS WATER USE FOR GOODS FROM HUMAN HYDROLOGICAL FROM WATER USE AND SERVICES WATER USE SYSTEMS CERTAINTY VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN Corporate Water Stewardship - New paradigms in private sector water engagement. Nicholas Hepworth and Stuart Orr (2013) In, B.A. Lankford, K. Bakker, M. 17 Zeitoun and D Conway (Eds) “Water security: Principles, perspectives and practices”. In Press, Earthscan Publications, London. 19 FIGURE 8. Overlaying corporate management and stewardship CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL VALUE FACILITY) VALUE CREATION/LOSS FROM (WELL-BEING) DERIVED CREATED/LOST BY CREATION/LOSS FROM WATER USE FOR GOODS FROM HUMAN HYDROLOGICAL WATER USE AND SERVICES WATER USE SYSTEMS UNCERTAINTY OUT OF SCOPE (NON-VALUATION-BASED APPROACHES) COMPANY-RELATED WATER RISK BASIN-RELATED WATER RISK (Physical, Regulatory, Reputational) WATER RISK RISK -ri ks M and at is sk iti p e- r r ga ro lu te te tec va wa s b ts ed d as sh ar ate in ar sh rel -re ed Saves/ cts in- la va sha Save te lu builds te s ro s ba dw e CERTAINTY red s/b present wa uild at -at- d p te ter s pr shared er ris an itiga -re es lat ent water- ris k ed ks M val related VALUE TO THE FACILITY ue value VALUE TO THE BASIN CORPORATE WATER MANAGEMENT CORPORATE WATER STEWARDSHIP RESPONSE: Includes RESPONSE: Tends to focus on water awareness of water issues, understanding of impact at various procurement costs (efficiency) and avoiding scales, internal and collective action, as well as governance pollution fines with limited water-risk mitigation engagement to protect and build value at various scales. As seen in Figure 6, Figure 7 also illustrates water risk with management largely emphasize the present price and costs of the left-side boxes representing company-related water risk water with some focus on water risks stemming from potential (and on the far left, facility-related water risk), while across the on-site incidents such as spills. In other words, it places an right side are the basin-related water risks linked to economic, emphasis lower on the Y-axis, and to the left on the X-axis social and environmental water value. Accordingly, addressing (Figure 8). Such water management approaches tend to have company-related water risks provides greater proprietary water- less emphasis on risk, and speci cally little, if any, emphasis on related value, while addressing the basin-related water risks not basin-related risk. Relying solely on such water management only delivers proprietary value (via risk mitigation), but also approaches means that facilities remain at risk from the creates economic, societal and ecological water value. In other uncertainty that stems from issues that originate from economic, words, engaging in basin-level risk response provides bene ts at social and ecological forces at play within and often beyond the multiple scales. catchment; i.e., to the top and right on the framework. us, From here, the di erence between traditional corporate water water management is a passive form addressing uncertainty by management and corporate water stewardship can be made. limiting costs from disasters through on-site actions; i.e., value preservation at the facility scale. Traditional facility-level water management approaches (as noted in light blue on the left) tend to focus on e ciency and Conversely, a water stewardship approach complements pollution prevention within the facility. Such forms of water best water management practices using collective action and 20 governance engagement to take action at the basin level. 2. Water valuation is linked to uncertainty (i.e., water Stewardship starts to mitigate the uncertainty deriving from risk), which manifests at various scales and is informed basin water risks and preserve water-related value at multiple by di erent disciplines using di erent audience-speci c scales. In working with others, water stewardship asks methodologies. Both time and space are linked to water companies to consider the right side of the X-axis to understand value (see Figure 4). To e ectively communicate water how others value water and how that may impact on them. value, it is key to understand which elds (e.g., nance, Water stewardship helps to preserve and create value at various economics, etc.) are relevant given your audience. scales—at the facility, corporate, economic, social and ecological 3. Water stewardship is a form of water risk mitigation that levels—thus enabling a rm to demonstrate how it adds value seeks to preserve and create value at multiple scales and to the community, the economy, and society. Companies are levels of certainty. Conversely, as seen in Figure 8, a more increasingly willing to reduce water risks through external traditional, limited water management response focuses actions once they understand better nancial implications and on a narrow range of current facility and corporate value the connections. elements (largely, present cost), only partly addresses Water stewardship also more actively and comprehensively corporate water risks, and largely ignores basin-level risk assesses all levels of risks deriving from various scales found on mitigation or value creation. Unlike traditional water the Y-axis. Even at high levels of uncertainty, where valuation is management, water stewardship helps to maximize long- not well-suited, water stewardship o ers a better understanding term shareholder value as well as social value. Companies of highly unknowable situations through increased dialogue are therefore encouraged to push their response e orts, via with others that provides insights to potential scenarios. water stewardship, to the right and top of the valuation framework to maximize water value. What is important to note is that all of these elements are interrelated. A poor corporate response such as a weak water management response, focused only on improving e ciency, will not change the water context, nor address risks. erefore, while a limited management response may increase some value in the short term at the facility scale, it will result in the loss of value at other scales which could ultimately a ect value at the facility as well. Conversely, water stewardship can address water value more comprehensively. 3.4 | CONCLUSIONS ON THE WATER VALUATION FRAMEWORK e previous three sections provided an outline of how water- related value varies both in terms of scales and certainty. ey also explored the concepts of price, cost, and value, as well as water risk and its linkages to water management and water stewardship. e framework highlights several key issues, including: 1. Water is valued di erently by di erent stakeholders (see Figure 3). Furthermore, corporate water value is nested within economic, social and ecological water value. It is also critical to distinguish between the price, cost and value of water, since a focus on the former two (especially price) results in signi cant undervaluation of water in corporate decision making. 21 Wegala Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project. Sri Lanka. CREDIT: Simone D. McCourtie / World Bank 4 | COMPREHENSIVE METRICS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WATER AFFECTS SHAREHOLDER VALUE With the general framework in place, one can shift from 4.1 | ACCOUNTING FOR HOW WATER AFFECTS conceptualizing di erent forms of water value to providing PRESENT VALUE: REVISITING FINANCIAL a tangible set of water valuation metrics. In other words, this STATEMENTS section explores how managers can comprehensively measure water-related value to better capture shareholder value and 4.1.1 A Water Valuation Balance Sheet better articulate the value of water to other audiences such To structure the metrics around traditional nancial statements, as shareholders, communities, and government regulators. it is helpful to begin by understanding a generic balance sheet Recognizing the ubiquity and importance of the balance sheet and (Figure 9). It outlines a number of broad categories (e.g., assets, income statement in the corporate landscape, speci c metrics have liabilities, etc.) of which many are a ected by water. While been aligned with these two commonly employed accounting some categories are not water-speci c (e.g., cash has no water formats. Figures 10 and 12 are a spin on the water valuation parallel), many of the categories listed in a balance sheet are framework through these respective nancial accounting lenses. either a ected by water or have a water parallel. For example, e water valuation framework from Section 3 provides the supplies may be water supplies; pre-paid insurance may relate to foundation for providing corporate managers with speci c water-based insurance; building and equipment may also both metrics. First, current/“certain” value can be separated from be water-speci c. Other categories may likewise be a ected by future/“at risk” value. Second, di erent types of metrics will water issues. be more or less relevant at di erent scales. For example, some Similarly, water can a ect liabilities as well as shareholder equity, metrics will be more material to a facility, while others are more though since shareholder equity is a ected through the change material to corporate headquarters. ese general concepts, in asset and liability value, it is omitted from Figure 10. along with some framing borrowed from nancial accounting, Taking the general categories found in a balance sheet (Figure underline the approach employed to distinguish and outline 9), water-speci c versions can be placed onto the water speci c water valuation metrics. However, it is recognized that valuation framework to establish Figure 10. the speci c location of the metric categories is subjective. It is also worth noting that the horizontal X-axis has been compressed in these gures. In an e ort to focus on the most FIGURE 9. A traditional balance sheet example material water valuation elements for corporate audiences, there ASSETS LIABILITIES is a bias towards measuring the water value that companies currently experience, with less emphasis on the social and Current Assets Current Liabilities • Cash • Accounts payable ecological value that a company a ects. is emphasis re ects • Accounts receivable • Wages payable the pattern of nancial statements as a whole, and means • Investments • Interest payable that the measures focus on current, proprietary value for • Inventory • Taxes payable businesses, and do not fully address future risk-based value, nor • Supplies • Warranty liability • Prepaid insurance • Other accrued liabilities do they fully capture the value at larger scales (i.e., economic, • Unearned revenue societal and ecosystem value). e primary emphasis is on the Capital Assets Long-term liabilities material issues for business, and just as nancial statements • Land & property • Notes payable are accompanied by a narrative in annual reports, such water- • Use rights • Bonds payable adjusted statements would need to be accompanied by both a • Buildings • Equipment water risk disclosure and a narrative covering water stewardship Intangibles Shareholder Equity actions to provide shareholders a complete picture. • Goodwill • Common stock e intention is to provide a set of water-related metrics, • Trade names • Retained earnings structured around traditional nancial statements, to enable • Patents / IP businesses to understand how their shareholder value is being a ected by water. 23 Like the broader valuation framework, Figure 10 contains a vertical Y-axis, which goes from more certain “current” BOX 1. Climate change and water value assets and liabilities to less certain “non-current” assets and Extreme weather events are increasingly meriting contingent liabilities (i.e., those that are more a ected by risk). adaptation actions, including both efforts designed e dotted line represents a somewhat arbitrary split between to buffer against impacts (i.e., resistance measures), present and future aspects, recognizing that changes in water as well as efforts designed to rebound from impacts (i.e., resilience measures). Traditional responses to limit (due to physical, regulatory or reputational forces) will a ect catastrophic loss have focused on grey infrastructure changes in supply and demand that, in turn, modify the value (e.g., storm water retention ponds, water towers, etc.), of assets and liabilities. As an example, an extreme ooding but increasingly are recognizing the role of green event could decrease value through destroying infrastructure, infrastructure (e.g., riparian vegetation, wetlands, or a drought event could increase value through the value etc.) in limiting losses. In addition to infrastructure, of groundwater reserves being worth more due to scarcity. management actions, staffing and even regulatory engagement actions, which carry expenses, need to be Similarly, perceived abundance (real or not) may decrease value, considered as investments relative to potential losses. thus highlighting the importance of monitoring baselines and Thus, adaptation expenses are a preventative measure stakeholder communication. Basin context factors, water risks, not only to preserve asset value and limit liability, and corporate response may also a ect water-related assets and but also to ensure that when such extreme weather contingent liabilities. circumstances arise, operations may continue unabated, thereby maintaining revenues and to ensure that Along the horizontal axis in Figure 10, various categories assets do not become stranded. With improved water of water-related assets and liabilities are listed and generally valuation, managers are better able to make decisions arranged in order of importance from the facility-level (left side) about investments into climate change adaptation. to the corporate level (central/right) to the societal level (right side). Note that the majority of the elements listed in Figure 10 community relations, the corporation is very concerned about will be of relevance to the facility. Whereas the facility is often the brand and social impact liabilities. Hence, public relations concerned with on-site infrastructure, local water levels and tend to land in the corporate sphere. FIGURE 10. A balance sheet perspective of water valuation HIGHLY UNCERTAIN (RISK) Corporate Corporate water-related, Current, non- Water-related Corporate Unaccounted- water- natural capital (green current and intangible assets water-related for social related built infrastructure) current and contingent social value liability from capital (grey non-current assets water-related asset facility-driven infrastructure) liabilities impairment of non-current Current Community Brand public assets assets corporate goodwill value water assets RISK FACTORS AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES LISTED BELOW Frequency and scale of cost changes (all, especially taxes, water / energy / commodity pricing, asset damage) due to changes in supply and demand (incl. climate change) Infrastructure Future Ecological Water-related Value of Value of Social value Future water- amortization market impairment (or future liabilities future future impairment or related facility- and damage/ value of enhancement) (accounted community brand enhancement driven impacts write-offs water of natural for—e.g., future relations value/ of corporate on societal reserves capital fines) goodwill assets asset value Value of grey Current Value of Water-related Value of no Brand Social value Present water- infrastructure market natural current operational value of publicly related facility- assets value of capital (green corporate interruption accessible, driven societal water infrastructure) liabilities from Goodwill water-related liabilities reserves assets (to the (accounted community natural capital (unaccounted- HIGHLY CERTAIN facility) for—e.g., fines) concerns for public asset Social value externalities) of grey infrastructure VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 24 is general interest of water value assets and liabilities revenues and expenses) are typically poorly handled through dictated the positions of the categories from left to right. traditional nancial accounting methods. Only the current/ ese include grey infrastructure (far left), which is typically non-current/contingent liabilities (top left) and the proprietary of great importance to the facility, to physical water assets built and natural capital assets, O&M costs and revenue (e.g., groundwater reserves or on-property lakes, etc.), to green impacts (bottom right) are generally captured in nancial infrastructure, to intangible assets such as goodwill and brand statements. e often natural, capital-related externalized value. Liabilities, which a ect the corporation, are next covering social costs (top left), various contextual risk factors (top both current and contingent liabilities that may manifest from right), and social value provision (bottom left) are ignored, or water-related issues that arise, such as an outstanding regulatory at best included as footnotes. ne. Lastly, on the far right is the provision of social value is distinction is an important one in the context of natural by proprietary corporate assets, followed by the e ects of the capital in particular since the asset value (and the provision company on the social value of social assets. of services covered in section 4.1.2) often di ers between the company and society. At present, companies often receive Whose assets provide value to whom? value from publicly owned natural capital assets, but rarely Water-related assets may be both corporate (i.e., proprietary) own large areas of proprietary natural capital assets. e only and public. Similarly, the value such assets generate may be exceptions are extensive land-use industries, such as forestry received by society or by the company. Into this mix, companies and agriculture. us, at present, there is minimal incentive may a ect not only the assets they control (i.e., corporate assets), to account for natural capital since corporate natural capital but also may a ect public water-related assets (e.g., water use (often minimal) generates minimal monetary value, and the may a ect the function of a downstream wetland). Simply put, social value impacts driven by corporate mismanagement are there is the need to distinguish between whose value is being externalized. While companies are a ected by (or are dependent a ected (i.e., the company’s or society’s), as well as whose asset is upon) public natural capital, such assets are di cult to account providing such value (i.e., the company’s assets or public assets). for except through value-at-risk modelling exercises. Indeed, in ese combinations are illustrated in Figure 11. general, nancial statements are better suited to accounting for e proposed water value balance sheet and income statements value with greater certainty (i.e., below the dotted line in Figure account for the combinations illustrated in Figure 11 through 10), despite ongoing e orts (see Box 2) nancial statements are various means. Both social value and the basin-related risks currently still not adequately suited to handle value-at-risk or posed to elements in nancial statements (i.e., assets, liabilities, strategic opportunities other than through narratives. FIGURE 11. Capital asset value provision and receipt WHO RECEIVES THE VALUE FROM THE CAPITAL ASSET SOCIETY (SOCIAL VALUE) COMPANY (PROPRIETARY VALUE) Company can affect a public asset providing social value (a Company can be affected by public asset WHO CONTROLS THE CAPITAL ASSET corporate-related reputational and regulatory water risk). providing them proprietary value (a PUBLIC Accounted for in balance sheet and income statement: (1) as basin-related physical water risk). WATER- current, non-current and contingent liabilities (i.e., accounted Accounted for in balance sheet and RELATED for—e.g., fines); (2) as an externalized social liability (i.e., currently income statement: (1) as a risk factor ASSET unaccounted for—e.g., cumulative water quality impacts on social affecting asset value in balance sheet assets); (3) as a risk factor affecting community goodwill and brand or (2) as a risk factor affecting costs in value; as well as (4) an unaccounted for, water-related societal cost; income statement and (5) indirectly as a risk factor affecting revenue impacts A company can manage a corporate A company can manage a corporate asset to provide social value. asset to provide proprietary value. CORPORATE WATER- Accounted for in balance sheet and income statement: (1) Accounted for in balance sheet and RELATED as a corporate social value asset (also likely to affect value of income statement: (1) as a corporate ASSET community goodwill); (2) the value of social benefits from asset (proprietary built capital asset and corporate water use natural capital asset); (2) operations and maintenance costs; (3) revenue impacts 25 water value issues will also set the stage for running risk-based BOX 2.Improving sustainability accounting— calculations (as noted under 4.2). Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP) 4.1.2 A Water Valuation Income Statement Recent years have seen the emergence of another key e same issues of neglected water-related value come up effort to improve how sustainability issues, including water, are accounted for in financial assessments. Two of from an income statement perspective. Figure 12 provides a these efforts, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board traditional income statement as an illustration and, again, we (SASB) and the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP), merit note. can begin to link water to elements outlined in a traditional In 2014, SASB released its preliminary accounting income statement. standards which seek “to develop and disseminate sustainability accounting standards that help public FIGURE 12. A traditional income statement example corporations disclose material, decision-useful information to investors.” Notably for the purposes REVENUE EXPENSES of this report, SASB provides a set of standardized Goods and services Employees metrics on water, which is an important step for Revenue from Administration expenses benchmarking. However, SASB does not seek to government Cost of goods sold convert such water metrics into water value metrics, Sales of assets Depreciation and amortization but instead leaves them in their “native format.” For Other revenues Write-down and impairment example, SASB standardizes water measurements in of assets the semiconductor manufacturing sector by having Finance costs users measure the “Total water withdrawn, percentage Net loss from disposal of assets recycled, percentage in regions with High or Extremely High Baseline Water Stress.” Conversely, SASB does not Taxes convert this withdrawal into its financial implications, One-time expenses but leaves this interpretation to Environmental, Social Other expenses and Governance (ESG) analysts and others to undertake. Similarly, in 2015, NCP released its preliminary natural Like the balance sheet, various elements of the income statement capital principles and framework document that are a ected by water-related issues. Sales can be a ected by outlines 10 steps across four stages (frame, scope, measure/value, and apply). While much of the focus water-related NGO campaigns, the cost of goods sold (COGS) is external (how companies impact, or are dependent increases when drought a ects commodity prices, and, similarly, upon, others’ natural capital), this initiative holds the expenses are a ected by water pollution, and so forth. promise to provide a rigorous, standardized method that will enable natural capital accounting for companies Accordingly, we can allocate various costs along with revenues and provides an important piece of the larger puzzle on allocated along the horizontal axis, while the same sort of water valuation. present and future division occurs along the vertical axis. As in Figure 10, the left side of Figure 13 is biased towards e categories outlined in Figure 10 can then be reorganized into greater concern to the facility (i.e., operations/maintenance a modi ed, water-speci c balance sheet (Table 1) which provides a and administration) while the right side of the gure is biased comprehensive set of metrics that enable a business to understand towards responsibilities typically held by corporate functions how water a ects its present-value balance sheet. Companies (e.g., nancing and revenue) since responsibility for such matters are encouraged to draw from Table 1 to select the most material typically lie with those respective units. is is valuable to bear metrics for their operations. Furthermore, understanding water in mind when speaking to site management or corporate sta , risk can help to inform which metrics are most material. For but, for the most part, the distinctions are not that important. example, companies facing high reputational water risk should Provision of ows of social value are also denoted on the far look to metrics that measure intangible value. What is important right of Figure 13. is that companies move beyond only considering pumps and What is more important to note is which aspects are traditionally lters, and begin to employ a more comprehensive approach in accounted for and those that are not accounted for. Traditionally, understanding how water a ects value across a range of assets water-related costs tend to be limited to the cost of acquiring, and liabilities. Failing to comprehensively understand how water treating and discharging water, which falls under operations and a ects a rm’s balance sheet will likely lead to poor management maintenance costs. However, in calculating the full value of water decisions and a loss of shareholder value. Measuring such present 26 TABLE 1. A balance sheet for businesses to calculate present water-related value ASSETS CALCULATION EXAMPLE CURRENT ASSETS Market value of water supply inventory (a specific form of Market price X estimated on-site 500,000,000L of groundwater at $0.001/L = on-site natural capital asset) *NOTE: covers only the value of volume $50,000 the asset to the facility Prepaid weather-related insurance Dollars spent on weather-related $25,000 paid for flood insurance; $5,000 paid insurance into federal drought insurance program Water use rights Opportunity cost of not selling $20,000 if 75,000,000L of water were traded water use rights (value of water if with another user traded) CAPITAL ASSETS On-site water-related grey infrastructure (built capital assets) Book value or replacement cost of $10,000 for Reverse Osmosis system; (purification, pipes, pumps, cooling, heating, washing, storm purification equipment $20,000 for pumps; $50,000 for cooling water retention, flood mitigation, etc.) towers, etc. Proprietary water-related grey infrastructure (built capital Contingent (or market) social Community provided with sanitation assets) used by the community or other stakeholders value provision facilities worth $50,000 On-site water-related, non-current green infrastructure Replacement cost $50,000 to replace wetland filtration (natural capital assets) *NOTE: covers only the value of the function with a built purification system to asset to the facility meet discharge requirements Proprietary water-related, non-current green infrastructure Contingent (or market) social Land cover preservation enables a (natural capital assets) used by the community or other value provision recreational salmon fishery worth $250,000 stakeholders *NOTE: covers only the value of the asset to per year. stakeholders (not the facility). Water-related chemical inventory Procurement cost of materials $8,000 spent on ozone; $15,000 spent on chlorine; etc. INTANGIBLES Water-related goodwill (% of brand value/goodwill affected Change in market valuation due to Stock value dropped by $1.24/share after by water) water-related event company was found guilty of polluting a stream (total value loss = $1.24M) Water-related patents/IP Estimated sales value of patent/IP Proprietary water filtration membrane technology worth an estimated $200,000 LIABILITIES CALCULATION EXAMPLE CURRENT LIABILITIES Water-related regulatory fines owing Total value of outstanding water- $250,000 fine from regulatory pollution related fine permit violation Water-related losses from lawsuits outstanding Total value of outstanding legal/ $1M settlement for phosphoric acid leak into settlement costs local stream Water-related taxes payable Total taxes due X % of funds spent $1,000,000 due in taxes (with 2% going on water-related matters OR to water & liquid waste management) = water-related fees/levies $20,000 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Long-term water-related liabilities (e.g., loans, debentures, Total financial obligation A $500,000 loan taken out to finance water deferred tax liabilities, deferred water payments, etc.) outstanding (and not due within infrastructure the year) related to water. Water (green) bonds payable The face amount, paramount, or A $500,000 bond issued to finance a new maturity amount of bonds issued water purification operation. by a company for water-related matters that are outstanding UNACCOUNTED-FOR LIABILITIES Water-related impacts on social assets currently Social asset value X proportional A wetland providing $1M in social value unaccounted for contribution to decrease in value dries up 25%, half of which is caused by the facility’s water use = $125,000 unaccounted- for liability 27 FIGURE 13. HIGHLY UNCERTAIN (RISK) An income statement perspective of water valuation Water-related Water-related Water-related Water-related Revenue Value of social Unaccounted operations and administration regulatory financial costs impacts from benefits from for facility- maintenance costs costs water issues corporate driven, costs water use water-related societal costs RISK FACTORS AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE COSTS AND REVENUES LISTED BELOW Frequency and scale of cost changes due to changes in supply and demand (and climate change) • License to grow • Ability to grow • Infrastructure • Cost of water- • Water-related • Financing costs • New/expanded • Value of facility’s • Societal costs renewal, related illness emergencies/ (factoring in water-sensitive water-related of externalities amortization (WASH) markets spills/cleanup water risk natural capital (including • Input material • Portion of premium) • Product contributions public procurement costs • Water-related water-related fines • Water-related innovation • Social value infrastructure • Cost of secondary treatment (in/out) legal costs insurance costs (water-related) provision and natural (compliance and • Water- • Cost of water related public • Ecosystem from grey capital) compensation) service revenues procurement infrastructure infrastructure (volume) • Portion of • Product premium water-related charges (if • Value of • Cost of energy to due to water move/heat/cool engineering costs applicable) water-related stewardship/CSR economic and water • Portion of water- • Taxes • Current water- community • Cost of water related CSR HIGHLY CERTAIN treatment (quality) dependent contributions costs (programs/ revenue/value • Facility cleaning/ disclosure/ (e.g., jobs, taxes/ sanitation costs creation m3 water, etc. certification) VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN to a facility, other costs including administrative (largely, sta ng), making decisions about addressing water scarcity challenges, all regulatory (e.g., nes, taxes, and subsidies), nancial expenses (i.e., of these additional costs, as well as potential impacts on revenues, cost of capital) as well as water-related revenues, should be factored should be factored into the nancial decision, and just the into decision making. For example, as water scarcity increases, a increased price of water (which is often zero or negligible). facility not only potentially needs to pay more for water (i.e., Similarly, as noted above in 4.1.1, social costs are currently often water price may go up), but will also often face higher energy externalized, while social bene ts are similarly unaccounted for. prices, need to hire additional sta to address stakeholder It is worth explicitly noting several aspects above the dotted line concerns, provide greater water information (disclosure), may in Figure 13. In particular, the concepts of “ability to grow” and face additional risk-adjusted nancing costs, and be under greater “license to grow” are largely future, risk-based concepts, but scrutiny from regulatory enforcement agencies. erefore, when TABLE 2. An income statement for businesses to calculate present water-related value SALES AND REVENUES CALCULATION EXAMPLE Gross operating income (i.e., total revenue Total revenue (or value creation) per day X number $4,000,000/252 = $15873/day X 5 days of or value of goods produced to assess of days of interruption interruption = $79,365 operational interruption) Other income (e.g., ecosystem service Total income received from water-related $2,000 per month provided from Water revenues) ecosystem services Funds for riparian management practices = $24,000 Product premium charged via water-related (Net revenue of product with water-related CSR $3.50 (for CSR-related bottled water) - $1.00 CSR brand premium—gross revenue of comparable (non-CSR-related bottled water) = $2.50 X product without premium) X total sales 10,000 units = $25,000 Value of additional sales secured through Value of sales $1.5M contract secured due to CSR practices water-risk-response specific RFPs (including water) Sales of water-related assets Book value of water-related asset 5 water pumps sold for $2,000 each = $10,000 Government water-related subsidies Funds provided by government for water-related 500,000 m3 traded at $2.00/m3 = $1M issues Table 2 continued on next page 28 Table 2 continued from previous page EXPENSES AND COST OF GOODS SOLD CALCULATION EXAMPLE COMMODITY INPUT PURCHASE COSTS (COST OF GOODS SOLD) Cost of water withdrawal Increase/decrease in costs due to water-related Almond prices increase by 50% to $12/lb due supply shifts to drought X 10,000 lbs = $60,000 in added costs Cost of water treatment (incoming and Total charge from water utility (N/A if using on-site $50,000 for provision of 5ML of potable outgoing) water) water Cost of water-related energy Total charge from water utility (N/A if no $40,000 for treatment of 4ML of discharged treatment required) water Water infrastructure amortization Cost of energy X % of energy used for moving/ $1M total energy costs X 33% for water changing temperature of water purposes = $333,333 Water infrastructure operations and Amortization costs for all water-related Water pipes book value = $200,000 maintenance costs infrastructure amortized over 40 years = $5,000/yr General selling, general and administrative Servicing and maintenance costs for water-related $10,000/yr to reverse osmosis system expenses infrastructure Water-related staffing costs (engineering, Water-related regulatory fees $5,000 water compliance filing fee management, legal, admin, CSR, PR) Water risk premium for financing costs Staff salary costs X % of time allocated to water- 15 full-time equivalent staff focused related matters on water at an average of $50,000/yr = $750,000 Water/weather-related insurance costs Interest rate increase over normal water risk 0.5% rate increase due to water risk on a 5 conditions X total loan year, $1M loan at 4.0% = $13700 extra Write-down or impairment of water-related Total insurance cost from weather insurance $10,000/yr in flood protection insurance assets provider Losses from water-related asset sales Total value of write-down $500,000 write-off of supplies due to flooding Other one-time water-related expenses Value of water-related asset sale 5 water pumps sold for $2,000 each = $10,000 Taxes Total cost $200,000 for installing a drought-resistant landscape (xeriscaping) Total taxes contributed X % of funds spent on $1,000,000 in taxes (with 2% going to water water-related matters OR water-related fees/levies & liquid waste management) = $20,000 COST OF WATER-RELATED LOST PERSON DAYS Outsourced water-use (e.g., laundry, facility Average daily cost per employee X # of days lost 300 lost person days due to dysentery @ cleaning, etc.) due to water-related illness $300/day = $90,000 Water-related regulatory fines Total cost charged by outsourcing provider $50,000/year for cleaning services of facility Water-related losses from lawsuits Total fine amount $10,000 for improper filing of water-related regulatory compliance forms Total lawsuit amount $50,000 due to community water conflict UNACCOUNTED FOR WATER-RELATED SOCIAL BENEFITS Water-related ecosystem restoration and Total value gained through provision of services A company restores an on-site wetland public service provision providing $50,000 in social value (water purification) Water-related volunteering efforts Number of staff hours X average employee wage 20 staff volunteering 8 hours to clean up a for water-related volunteering creek (with an avg. wage of $20/hr) = $3,200 Giving to water-related non-profits Amount donated $100,000 to WWF for freshwater conservation = $100,000 Water-related tax contribution Total taxes contributed X % of funds spent on $1,000,000 in taxes (with 2% going to water water-related matters OR water-related fees/levies & liquid waste management) = $20,000 Water-related employee salaries contributed Total staff salaries for water-related staff 7 water-related staff at $50,000/staff person to the local economy = $350,000 Unaccounted for water-related social costs Total value lost through impacts to public A wetland providing $1M in social value (see Natural Capital Protocol for more details infrastructure and natural capital services dries up 25%, half of which is caused by the on methods to calculate natural capital facility’s water use = $125,000 cost related costs) 29 are su ciently important to cash ow that they merit special attention. Increasingly, as demand exceeds renewable water BOX 3. Environmental Profit and Loss: supplies, we are seeing water scarcity a ect cash ows as well. Kering’s efforts to integrate sustainability into financial statements While water rights and allocation mechanisms vary considerably across the globe, physical water scarcity increasingly has the One of the most prominent efforts relating to valuation and financial statements is the work undertaken by potential to a ect a facility’s ability to grow or license to grow. Kering (and notably under their brand Puma) and ese two distinctions are made to re ect the fact that while PriceWaterhouseCoopers, to account for environmental water availability a ects ability to grow, water accessibility a ects externalities and natural capital. In their own words, license to grow. Without ability or license to grow, a facility’s The Environmental Profit & Loss (E P&L) is “a new way future revenues may be limited, which also threatens to result in of estimating the cost to society of the changes in the a stranded asset and a ect the asset’s value. environment as a result of our business activities and those as a whole of our supply chain…While these Table 2 now takes the income statement elements outlined costs are not currently borne by business, we believe in Figure 13 and reformats them into a tabular form with as a responsible business that we should minimize our speci c calculations and examples to assist companies to shift negative impact on natural capital and find ways to the thinking from the water valuation framework over to their enhance and support natural capital.” existing nancial statements. While this is an important step forward in valuing traditionally ignored assets, for the purposes of this Similar to the concept of a ecting social assets and providing report, what is important to flag here is that Kering is social value from proprietary corporate assets (noted in 4.1.1), accounting for others’ value, not its own corporate value. some companies are also interested in demonstrating the Put differently, Kering’s efforts focus on calculating value nancial value of certain important societal contributions or on the right side of the valuation framework, while social costs (see Box 3), i.e., social and ecological value creation/ largely ignoring the left. preservation. For example, in 2012, Caesars Entertainment Source: Kering (2015) http://www.kering.com/sites/default/ worked with VeraWorks to estimate the monetized social value files/document/kering_epl_methodology_and_2013_group_ results_0.pdf of their e orts to support the local community and contribute to the local economy.18 Accordingly, while not all companies currently track such social value contributions or loss, there is a To account for this value (i.e., water-related value-at-risk), the growing movement to at least understand the impact on social simplest solution is to begin to tie probabilities to the metrics in value. 4.1 and 4.2. To do this, there are several possible approaches. In summary, water touches many aspects of both the balance One such concept is Value-at-Risk (VaR). Further to VaR, sheet and the income statement but very few of these are seen a number of modelling techniques, such as Monte Carlo in corporate annual reports. Rather they are ignored, attributed simulations, can be used to explore di erent estimated to other factors, or presented in a very limited fashion. e probabilities. is latter approach is the basis for IFC’s FV Tool, result is that corporate and facility-level decision making makes which is designed to assess the cost-bene ts of how various non-optimal decisions with regards to water, and in turn, causes sustainability interventions might mitigate risks and therefore shareholders to lose value. preserve value. While both of these techniques are su ciently exible to handle most forms of future water value that may be 4.2 | ACCOUNTING FOR (FUTURE) WATER- susceptible to water risks, it is also worth explicitly agging the RELATED VALUE-AT-RISK AND AT LARGER strategic aspects to future water risks—most notably how to SCALES address future ability/license to grow. To illustrate this concept, it is easiest to use an example. As noted above, nancial statements are stronger in presenting current (or future, but known) value and not as good at e e orts in recent years on mapping and modelling water capturing uncertain value, nor value at larger societal and risks have brought basin-related water risk to the forefront of ecological scales. Accordingly, the water-related balance many companies’ minds. However, given that companies have sheet and income statement presented in 4.2 does not minimal impact over water use at the basin level, and yet their comprehensively cover the risk-based value elements very well. future assets/worth and ability to grow/future revenues are 18 Sustainable Brands (2015) e New Financial Metrics of Sustainable Business: A Practical Catalog of 20+ Trailblazing Case Studies. Available online: http://e. sustainablebrands.com/resources-report-new- nancial-metrics-of-sustainable-business.html?_ga=1.101492994.2066379976.1435852502. 30 BOX 4. The case of Sasol—linking water risk, BOX 5. A shadow price for water? valuation and investment One other approach not explicitly discussed here, but As companies have begun to understand water risk, they emerging with some companies (e.g., Nestlé) is the idea have considered how their investments can maximize of establishing a shadow price for water. This approach, not only corporate benefits, but also contribute value at which is a long-standing concept applied where there other scales. is future uncertainty around price, has been extensively For example, Sasol, a global integrated energy and used for carbon in recent years. Furthermore, the chemicals company, recognized that due to water- emergence of some tools (e.g., the Water Risk Monetizer) stressed basin conditions, water security was becoming provide an estimated future water price extrapolated off a material challenge to its operations in the South of various risk trends. African Vaal River system. Sasol uses about 4 percent of While such an approach does have a place and can the catchment yield; municipalities use approximately help to address not only future price changes but also another 30 percent, losses from which can be as high as account for liabilities, shadow pricing is still limited in 45 percent due to the aging infrastructure. that it accounts for water, but not water-related value. Sasol approached municipalities to implement For example, it would fail to capture the increase in water conservation initiatives that would make a salary costs or energy costs via increased water use. substantially greater contribution to improving water Shadow pricing also reinforces the emphasis on water’s security than what would have been realized by price, which leads to a narrow focus and ultimately risks focussing only on enhancing water management in its poor management decisions. Accordingly, while noting internal operations. By investing in the municipality it here, we have opted for shadow pricing to remain as opposed to their plant, Sasol obtained higher outside of the valuation framework and recommended water saving rates, accrued the benefits they were approaches contained in Section 4. seeking in water supply, and contributed to the wider community’s water supply through improved municipal works—all at a fraction of the cost of using internal Finally, while Section 4.1 covered several corporate-related technology implementations alone. elements relating to economic, social and ecological value This case illustrates how an understanding of contextual contributions or losses (see Figures 10 and 13), it is important water risk leads to a broader stewardship response that to note that much of the water-related value at these levels can improve value creation for multiple stakeholders, needs to be accounted for through entirely di erent means and all the while delivering risk mitigation and greater by di erent and non-corporate audiences: i.e., government. shareholder value for the company. erefore, while beyond the scope of this report, public sector agencies are also encouraged to explore social accounting likely to be impacted by basin-related water stress (scarcity/ methods to measure and manage water-related value at broader pollution), many companies have begun to explore how they scales. can strategically invest in the basin to mitigate basin-related In summary, water-related value, once conceptualized through water risks and preserve future water-related value (see Box 4). the proposed water valuation framework, can be represented For example, investment in drip irrigation may improve eld- in the form of nancial statements. Traditional nancial level e ciency, but collective groundwater use may ultimately accounting formats tend to emphasize present, proprietary result in everyone’s wells running dry, and therefore jeopardizing value, but, increasingly, we are seeing interest and promising the investment in the drip irrigation infrastructure. e orts to account for social value, and better accounting for Other approaches to incorporate risk also exist, including water risk in balance sheet and income statements. shadow pricing (see Box 5), as well as approaches to assess speci c issues, such as assessing corporate dependencies on water-related natural capital (see Natural Capital Protocol framework19). However, many such approaches are limited to one aspect of the water valuation framework. Ongoing e orts will be required to improve how water risk is accounted for in nancial statements. Natural Capital Coalition (2015) Natural Capital Protocol Framework—Draft 26 June 2015. Available online: http://www.naturalcapitalcoalition.org/js/plugins/ 19 lemanager/ les/NCC_Natural_Capital_Protocol_Principles_and_Framework_brochure.pdf Accessed: July 22, 2015. 31 Women fetch water from the artesian well. The village was settled about 100 years ago. There are over 120 traditional wells that villagers have used to try to get water from over the years. The PPAF funded artesian well has greatly improved the quality of life in the village. Pakistan. CREDIT: Caroline Suzman / World Bank 5 | EXPLORING WATER TOOLS AND CASE STUDIES USING THE WATER VALUATION FRAMEWORK In recent years, various tools and case studies have also begun to emphasis on the price of water to the facility. Nevertheless, some emerge that seek to value water. is section of the report will have taken a broader perspective on water-related issues, most explore some of the more commonly referenced corporate water notably Veolia’s True Cost of Water tool. tools in use, as well as an array of water value-related case studies Indeed, several tools have emerged seeking to explicitly link in the context of the water valuation framework. water risk to water valuation. For example, Equarius Risk Analytics have developed a WaterVaR tool that seeks to explore 5.1 | WATER VALUATION TOOLS value-at-risk through a water lens. Such tools have tended e various water valuation tools available at present have to focus on cash ows as well as operational cost savings. emerged from a variety of disciplines; some from the non-pro t Few have touched upon other areas such as water-related world, informed by environmental economics (e.g., Natural administrative costs, regulatory costs, or nancial costs. e Capital Project’s InVEST), while others have come from the latter may be minimal at present as nancial institutions are for-pro t world and have been informed by nance (e.g., Risk only just beginning to factor water risk exposure into premiums. Analytics’ WaterVaR). To date, however, no single tool has Insurance and re-insurance providers are already o ering forms managed to comprehensively touch upon all of the areas of of insurance against physical water risks at a considerable water-related value. To illustrate, we can place several of these premium. tools into the income statement adapted version of the water It is also worth noting the realm of ecosystem service valuation valuation framework (Figure 14). tools since these are increasingly being discussed in the context e majority of these tools have tended to focus on calculating of “water valuation” (see Figure 14). e key conclusion that the operational and maintenance costs of water, with a strong can be drawn from Figure 14 is that there is no single method FIGURE 14. Placing water valuation tools into the (income statement) water valuation framework HIGHLY UNCERTAIN (RISK) Water-related Water-related Water-related Water-related Revenue Value of social Unaccounted operations and administration regulatory financial costs impacts from benefits from for facility- maintenance costs costs water issues corporate driven, costs water use water-related WaterVaR (Equarius) societal costs WaterVaR (Equarius) Bloomberg Water Risk Valuation Tool FV Tool (IFC) True Cost of Ecosystem service valuation Water Tool FV Tool (IFC) and modelling tools (Veolia) Water Risk True Cost of Calculating the provision of Monetiser Water Tool benefits to society, or the (Trucost/Ecolab) FUTURE RISK FOCUSED (Veolia) societal costs inflicted Ecosystem PRESENT-COST / REVENUE FOCUSED e.g., InVEST, SERVES, Co$ting services Nature, ARIES, Natural Capital Operational Analyzer, etc. True Cost of cost avoidance Water Tool Ecosystem (Veolia) services True Cost of Payment for Water Tool Ecosystem (Veolia) Service revenue HIGHLY CERTAIN NalcoPRO (Ecolab) VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN 33 mathematics simpler and more transparent, but disregards the BOX 6. A note on valuation methods inter-linkages between, for example, a given company’s role as a Methods and tools sometimes are confused, but the big water consumer and the water scarcity level of the river on former merit a note, especially to the finance community its site location. who tend to employ a range of methods to account for erefore, when looking at overall risk scores one will typically value. Current valuation methods are firmly focused on assessing value using a mix of the current income see an exposure to a medium level of risk, as the high and low statement and balance sheet (i.e., bottom left of the risks are averaged out, especially when lots of di erent indicators framework). Since water-related value is, at present, are taken into account. WWF is working on a solution by poorly reflected through such statements, any sort of identifying “critical” indicators. Once the company scores a very derivative analysis (e.g., price-to-book ratio, return on high risk level for any of these critical indicators, it will score equity, working capital ratios, etc.) is likely to provide an very high overall. incomplete picture of the value of water to the company. There are also a number of methods that are more future- Currently available water risk tools are not returning the “value” facing, including net present value, discounted cash flow that is at risk. Rather, they tend to return a spatially explicit analysis, and value-at-risk. Water-specific versions of snapshot of areas whose water conditions are likely to increase such methods, such as calculating the present value of risk to an actor operating in that location. While it is a relatively future water-related savings, or cash flows from water simple solution to combine nancial information to the risk assets, are other approaches that can be (and are being) scores per assessed site to achieve an understanding of the value employed to value water-related decisions. Finally, some groups have suggested developing water-specific value- of production volumes at risk, this would provide only a very at-risk calculations to better modify beta risk values and limited perspective in how risk a ects value. Such an approach provide shareholders with a better sense of potential would not constitute a formal Value-at-Risk (VaR) approach losses from water challenges. (e.g., Equarius Risk Analytics WaterVaR), but would give greater In summary, many valuation methods can, in theory, be insight into production value exposed to di erent risk pro les applied to value water. Whether or not this becomes a and begin to link water risk with water valuation. more common practice going forward remains to be seen. Returning the water risk tool discussion to the water valuation framework, we can place such tools onto the framework (Figure or tool that fully addresses all forms of water-related value for 15), with the recognition that they are NOT assessing water businesses. Rather, there are various tools that cover di erent value (with the exception of WaterVAR).20 parts of the spectrum. is is important to note since the e key takeaway from Figure 15 is that the various water tools implication is that, at present, businesses are inadequately in common use are a mix of water risk tools, water assessment equipped to factor in the value linked to water and therefore are tools, and water stewardship tools. ere are some water not easily able to maximize shareholder value. valuation tools, but these tend to be very limited in scope and, 5.1.1 Water risk tools and methodologies in e ect, there is no tool available yet for businesses to value water comprehensively. With the strong focus to date on water risk assessment tools, it is worth brie y touching upon a review of these tools and how they link or do not link to water valuation. Furthermore, much 5.2 | WATER VALUATION CASE STUDIES like the discussion around “value,” there is some confusion It is also very informative to assess an array of case studies around what is meant when we use the term “risk.” Many tools in the context of the water valuation framework. ese case on the market today are, in fact, mapping tools, overlaying studies were pulled together from a search for corporate e orts company facilities on indicator maps. Others are footprint documenting value creation/loss due to water-related issues. In tools that position themselves around notions of risk. ese do, total, 34 case studies were chosen (Annex A.2) to highlight a however, have the desired e ect and have been—as simple as variety of ways in which companies are recognizing how water they are—useful to convey water issues to companies. a ects shareholder value. Most water risk assessment tools use a weighted average score of Taking these case studies and placing them into the context of several risk indicators to arrive at an indication of risk, and there the water valuation framework (Table 3) allows the corporate are no interdependencies between the indicators. is makes the actions to be separated by category according to income For an overview of various water risk assessment tools, please see Annex A.3. 20 34 FIGURE 15. Water tools placed into the water valuation framework CORPORATE (AND ECONOMIC VALUE SOCIETAL VALUE ECOLOGICAL VALUE FACILITY) VALUE CREATION / LOSS FROM (WELL-BEING) DERIVED CREATED/LOST BY CREATION / LOSS WATER USE FOR GOODS FROM HUMAN HYDROLOGICAL FROM WATER USE AND SERVICES WATER USE SYSTEMS UNCERTAINTY OUT OF SCOPE (NON-VALUATION-BASED APPROACHES) WaterVaR (Equarius) FV Tool (IFC) Water Risk Filter (WWF/DEG) COMPANY-RELATED BASIN-RELATED WATER RISK WATER RISK Aqueduct (WRI) WATER RISK RISK True Cost of CDP Water Water Tool Water Risk (Veolia) Monetiser Local Water Tool (GEMI) (Trucost/ Ecolab) Global Water Tool (WBCSD) Water Impact Index (Veolia) Growing Blue Tool (Veolia) Water Footprint Assessment (WFN) CERTAINTY VALUE TO THE FACILITY VALUE TO THE BASIN CORPORATE WATER AWS Standard (AWS) MANAGEMENT RESPONSE Aqua Gauge (Ceres) Connecting the Drops (GEMI) CORPORATE WATER STEWARDSHIP RESPONSE VALUATION TOOLS RISK TOOLS STEWARDSHIP TOOLS STEWARDSHIP TOOLS statement and balance sheet. is sort of categorization provides • Nearly 50% of the case studies pursued solutions us with a series of insights. involving building grey infrastructure assets and/or • e frequency distribution is telling in that we can see improving operational e ciency. businesses are focused on a very limited number of areas of • Several companies have engaged in the development of water value. Speci cally, they tend to address water issues new products or targeting new markets, illustrating how where it a ects the following: water issues can be not only a cost, but can also drive • Operations & Maintenance (O&M) costs (over 50% revenues. were focused here) Once again we see the trend of focusing on a combination of • Limits or prevents regulatory costs (~25%) water price, limited (largely O&M or regulatory) water costs, • Revenue (increase/decrease in sales to water-sensitive and solutions that focus on grey infrastructure. Simply put, the markets) (~25%) evidence from the case studies suggests that there is a strong • Intangible (brand) assets (~21%) need for more comprehensive approaches to assess how water • e actions taken by businesses in the case studies are also a ects shareholder value. telling in that they provide insight on how businesses seek to preserve/build water-related value: 35 TABLE 3. Water valuation case studies INCOME STATEMENT ELEMENTS BALANCE SHEET ELEMENTS Lowering Lowering Mitigate Water- Revenue Revenue Revenue Built Devel- Develop- Mitigate Value of opera- admin- risk of related impacts impacts impacts water- opment ment of risk of current tions and istrative regulato- financial (Increase/ (Water- (Ability to related of water water- intangi- and con- mainte- (incl. ry costs costs decrease related operate/ infra- reserve related ble asset tingent nance legal) in sales to product future structure assets natural deprecia- water- cost costs water- innova- ability to assets capital tion related sensitive tion) grow) assets liabilities CASE STUDY markets) The Coca Cola Company, Kerala, 1 1 1 1 1 India (2004) Cameron Bridge Distillery (2005) 1 1 1 Mariani Packing Company Vacaville, CA 1 1 1 (2006) The Coca Cola Company, Ann 1 1 Arbor, MI (2006) Duro Textiles Massachusetts 1 1 (2007) Southern Company (2008) 1 1 Colgate Palmolive Morristown, NJ 1 (2009) Starbucks Coffee Company (2009) 1 1 1 Kraft Foods, Jacksonville, FL 1 1 (2009) Finlays Tea (2009) 1 1 Nestle, South Africa (2009) 1 1 1 Cisco Systems (2010) 1 Ford Motor Company, Chihuahua City 1 1 (2010) Hennes & Mauritz AB/H&M (2010) 1 1 Kimberly-Clark Kluang, Malaysia 1 1 (2010) Sasol Limited (2010) 1 Shree Cement Rajasthan, India 1 1 (2011) Freeport McMoRan Copper 1 1 and Gold (2011) Iberdrola (2011) 1 36 INCOME STATEMENT ELEMENTS BALANCE SHEET ELEMENTS Lowering Lowering Mitigate Water- Revenue Revenue Revenue Built Devel- Develop- Mitigate Value of opera- admin- risk of related impacts impacts impacts water- opment ment of risk of current tions and istrative regulato- financial (Increase/ (Water- (Ability to related of water water- intangi- and con- mainte- (incl. ry costs costs decrease related operate/ infra- reserve related ble asset tingent nance legal) in sales to product future structure assets natural deprecia- water- cost costs water- innova- ability to assets capital tion related sensitive tion) grow) assets liabilities CASE STUDY markets) Hennes & Mauritz AB/H&M (2011) 1 1 1 Woolworths Limited Australia 1 1 1 1 (2012) Kraft Foods, Davenport, IA 1 1 (2012) Yunus Textile Mills, Pakistan 1 1 (2013) Oland Brewery Halifax, Nova 1 Scotia (2013) Garrison Brewery Halifax, Nova 1 Scotia (2013) New Hampshire Municipalities 1 1 (2013) Anonymous Food Processing Plant Midwest (Date 1 1 1 unknown) Anonymous Sauces, Dressings and Beverages Manufacturing 1 1 Company (Date unknown) Unilever (Date unknown) 1 1 Proctor & Gamble (Date unknown) 1 Philipps Electronics (Date 1 unknown) Honda Motor Company Ltd. 1 1 1 (Date unknown) Intel (Date unknown) 1 Japanese Automotive sector 1 (Date unknown) Thai garment industry (Date 1 unknown) TOTALS 19 4 9 1 9 3 3 15 1 0 7 0 37 6 | CONCLUSION Amongst the scarcity of a variety of world resources, water, 3. Include water-related value in your balance sheet too, comes at a high price. It continues to be considerably and income statement, and discuss both water risk undervalued, and as a result, creates both a loss of shareholder and stewardship response in your annual report. value for companies, and economic ine ciency and drag Account for water-related assets beyond grey infrastructure: to governments—as well as sub-optimal water stewardship for the estimated future value of groundwater reserves; response. Indeed, corporate managers, who are beholden for the value of green infrastructure; and for the value of to duciary obligation to maximize shareholder value, tend the intangible social capital (community relations/brand to view water only as a low-price input cost. Such a limited value) that relates to reputational risk. Select measures that perspective on water-related value not only fails to maximize are important to key internal and external audiences and shareholder value, but also fails to maximize social value as use these metrics to build better business cases for water well. Conversely, improved corporate water valuation can stewardship. lead not only to strong water stewardship responses that, for companies, mitigate water risks and bene t the bottom line, 4. When making financial decisions, consider more than just the price of water. but also generate greater value for economies, society and ecosystems alike. Ensure the tools and methods used in various ways in which water a ects costs and revenues across operations and maintenance, administration, regulations, and nance 6.1 | RECOMMENDATIONS are available. is report has outlined various concepts related to water valuation. e following is a recommended list for companies’ 5. Learn about, and engage in, water stewardship to approach to water valuation and stewardship: more fully capture water-related value. Traditional water management with its focus on water 1. Understand water’s value to different audiences prices not only leaves value on the table, but it can also Understand how water creates value for di erent audiences, further exacerbate risks and erode long-term value at and employ appropriate metrics for appropriate audiences. multiple scales. In particular, pay attention to corporate-controlled natural capital assets which may hold material future value to 6. Share with investors how water stewardship corporate audiences and do provide present value to society creates and preserves value. (as well as also a ect present brand value). Furthermore, In your annual report, communicate with shareholders understand your impacts and dependencies on publicly about how you are undertaking water risk assessments to controlled natural capital assets and take advantage of maximize shareholder value through water stewardship. standardized approaches such as the Natural Capital Protocol. 6.2 | CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: A WATER VALUATION FRAMEWORK TO GENERATE 2. Understand how risk and uncertainty impact the BETTER OUTCOMES FOR ALL value of water e con icting challenges of seeking to provide water as a Understand how variables and potentially changing fundamental human right, the desire to exploit water resources conditions impact the future value of water. Consider how for economic development, and the under-appreciation for basin and corporate water risks a ect the value of your ecosystem services has resulted in a situation in which water facilities and your company. If you have not already done resources are coming under increasingly unsustainable pressures. so, conduct a water risk assessment of the portfolio of your ese pressures generate water risks for companies—physical, operations to understand water-related materiality. regulatory and reputational—and have the ability to a ect costs 38 and revenues, as well as assets. value of water into corporate nancial decision making. is report has sought to provide a degree of greater In summary, this report highlights the present challenges, understanding to the space of water valuation. A more clari es the landscape, provides speci c measures in a nancial comprehensive approach to water valuation serves not only accounting format, and lays the foundation for incorporation corporate and economic development audiences, but also drives of such water valuation approaches into the next generation value for communities, society and ecosystems as well. of tools (e.g., WWF’s Water Risk Filter). e hope is that the e Water Valuation Framework in this report provides a basis report provides companies with a clearer pathway forward to to not only unpack water-related value, but also begin to link not only improve how they value water, but to improve their value with water risk and water stewardship. Such linkages decision making as well. are critical, since the battle to move beyond a focus on water WWF and IFC believe the water valuation framework and the pricing and water management remains signi cant for the vast insights from this report will provide a key missing piece for majority of businesses, despite the high nancial risks posed corporations: connecting water to shareholder value, water risk, from water issues. and water stewardship. We invite and encourage companies Without these linkages, we will continue to see companies to begin to employ the framework and metrics outlined here respond to risk with the wrong strategies, fail to account for to take action on water to improve shareholder value, while longer-term bene ts from engagement, and reject opportunities simultaneously bene tting the economy, society, and the for external policy improvements by failing to de ne a “business environment. case.” We believe that while water stewardship remains a new concept, it is the only genuine way forward for companies. Making a better case for action that includes longer-term valuation and risk techniques will not only bene t companies today, but other users and company needs in the long run. e alternatives— ghting over scarce resources, skewing policy, ignoring stakeholder concerns—to the point where water access becomes jeopardised are a non-starter. It’s easy to value water once you don’t have access to it any longer. While there have been numerous methods and tools applied to the sphere of water valuation, to date no approach has been entirely comprehensive. e framework outlines a more comprehensive approach for valuation tools. With a proposed set of valuation metrics, structured around an income statement and balance sheet, the report has provided a proposed pathway forward for how companies can begin to better integrate the 39 A fisherman in Colombia. CREDIT: Edwin Huffman / World Bank ANNEXES A.I | GLOSSARY Built capital: Any pre-existing or planned formation that Financial accounting: Financial accounting is a is constructed or retrofitted to suit human needs. Built specialized branch of accounting that keeps track of a capital is built and maintained via human activity. company’s financial transactions. Using standardized guidelines, the transactions are recorded, summarized, Business natural capital accounting: The process of and presented in a financial report or financial statement systematically recording a business’ natural capital such as an income statement or a balance sheet. impacts and dependencies, assets and liabilities in a consistent and comparable way (Source: Natural Capital Finance: The management of large amounts of Coalition) money, especially by governments or large companies. As a sub-system of economics, finance is focused Ecological integrity: The condition when the structure, on understanding how capital (typically money) is composition, and function of an ecosystem are operating managed and focuses mainly on specific companies within the bounds of natural or historic disturbance and stock markets, and is heavily influenced by financial regimes (Source: NatureServe) institutions and markets (i.e., the providers of debt and equity capital). Put simply, economics seeks to Ecological economics: A branch of economics that aims understand the environment of finance, while finance to improve and expand economic theory to integrate the most often seeks to understand the status of a specific earth’s natural systems, human values and human health company. and well-being Green infrastructure: See “Natural capital.” Economics: A social science that studies how individuals, governments, firms and nations make choices on Grey infrastructure: See “Built capital.” allocating scarce resources (via the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth) to satisfy their Gross Domestic Product (GDP): An aggregate measure of unlimited wants. Economics operates from the micro to production equal to the sum of the gross values added macro-scale, with economics most commonly used to of all resident, institutional units engaged in production describe state-level interactions with the private sector (plus any taxes, and minus any subsidies, on products and consumers. Put differently, economics in popular not included in the value of their outputs) (Source: OECD discussion is often focused on how governments, definition) through a combination of interest rates, monetary policy, spending, and other means, establish a playing field Neo-classical economics: A set of approaches to within which companies and consumers operate. In economics focusing on the determination of prices, contrast to macroeconomics, microeconomics is focused outputs, and income distributions in markets through on supply, demand and price signals. Economics typically supply and demand focuses on political economic systems and is heavily tied Market value (or market pricing): Measures of water- to government policy and the response of businesses and related value dictated by the free market (i.e., supply and consumers. demand combined with subsidies and taxes) Ecosystem services: The benefits people derive from Monetary value (or monetary metrics): Measures of natural capital water-related value converted into monetary form Environmental economics: A distinct branch of Natural capital: The finite stock of natural assets (air, economics that undertakes theoretical or empirical water, land, habitats) from which goods and services studies of the economic effects of national or local flow to benefit society and the economy. It is made environmental policies around the world. Particular up of ecosystems (providing renewable resources and issues include the costs and benefits of alternative services), and non-renewable deposits of fossil fuels and environmental policies to deal with air pollution, minerals. (Source: Natural Capital Coalition). Note that water quality, toxic substances, solid waste, and natural capital is generally built and maintained without global warming. (Source: National Bureau of Economic significant human interference. Research) 41 Natural capital assessment: The process of estimating, to understand how water used to produce goods and measuring, and documenting characteristics, properties, services moves from one national (or regional) economy amounts, and values of natural capital using a wide to another. The concept originated seeking to improve variety of methods (Source: Natural Capital Coalition) the understanding of water’s association with economic trade flows between states (via virtual water trade), and Natural capital accounting: The process of systematically the associated water use policies (as exemplified through recording a business’ natural capital impacts and reports such as Bhatia et al (2006). Such “opportunity dependencies, assets and liabilities in a consistent and cost” (the cost of the next best opportunity foregone) comparable way evaluations have allowed economists to compare the value of crops grown per unit of water vs. the value of Non-use value: The utility or value that people assign energy created/sold per unit of water vs. the value of to economic goods (including public goods) even if they manufactured goods per unit of water. This enables never have and never will use it value-based comparisons of how water is contributing to Opportunity cost: The cost of an alternative that must be any given economy (e.g., job creation, tax revenue, etc., forgone in order to pursue a certain action per m3 of water use). More recently, the concept has also been used to explore the role that freshwater ecosystem Stranded asset: (from water challenges; also linked services play in economic development and productivity. to the notion of “drying and drowning assets”) This Water in the economy often explores the role of national term has seen considerable use both in relation to economic accounting and may consider the role of extreme weather events (notably droughts—“drying” ecosystem services, since the costs and benefits of such and flooding—“drowning”), but also in the context of natural capital assets are traditionally felt by the public incidents where a facility’s social license to operate has sector more so than the private sector. In summary, been jeopardized (i.e., assets may be stranded due to a more comprehensive approach to accounting for physical, regulatory or reputational water risk issues). water’s role in the economy is necessary to optimize water allocations for economic (as well as social and Use value: The utility or value of consuming a good or environmental) growth. service Water stewardship: The use of water that is socially Value-at-Risk: The maximum loss not exceeded with a equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically given probability defined as the confidence level, over a beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive given period of time process that involves site and catchment-based actions. Water stewardship is a form of water risk mitigation that Value of water to business: The monetary value of assets, seeks to preserve and create value at multiple scales and liabilities, revenues and costs at the facility and corporate levels of certainty. levels under varying levels of risk Water valuation: The process of determining the Water risk (corporate): The probability and financial monetary and non-monetary value of water-related impact exposure deriving from physical, regulatory and stocks and flows at various spatial scales to different reputational conditions at the basin level, and the nature audiences under varying levels of certainty. For of the corporate activity businesses specifically, water valuation seeks to Water in the economy: One common meaning is a determine the monetary value of assets, liabilities, non-valuation-based interpretation that explores how revenues and costs at the facility and corporate levels water ‘virtually’ moves through an economy. An example under varying levels of risk. would be Tony Allan’s Virtual water theory also linked Well-being: The state of being healthy, happy, or to water footprint, embedded water or embodied prosperous water. This discussion of water in the economy seeks 42 A.2 | VALUATION CASE STUDIES VALUE DRIVERS Woolworths Limited Australia 2012 VALUE DRIVERS Sauces, Dressings, and Beverage Lowering WATER- Desire to track water use, eliminate Manufacturer (Anonymous) operations and RELATED use inefficiencies, and monitor the Lowering Implemented use of BOD- maintenance ISSUE: overall health of processing systems operations and ACTION: consuming bacteria in pH costs maintenance neutralization tank Installed refrigeration and air Built water- conditioning systems at two costs FINANCIAL $175,000 annual savings in related ACTION: distribution centers that utilize Built water- BENEFITS: treatment surcharges infrastructure rainwater harvesting; [i] installed related assets water metering devices[ii] infrastructure FINANCIAL Purchase of and system COSTS: modifications for use of bacteria Mitigate risk of FINANCIAL 2-3 year return on investment assets intangible asset BENEFITS: where water bills are over $5,000[iii] WATER 42% reduction in mean BOD levels; depreciation BENEFITS: 65% decline in variability[viii] Water initiatives across the Mitigate risk of WATER company reduced Woolworths’ regulatory costs BENEFITS: water use by 208 ML (54.9 million VALUE DRIVERS Colgate Palmolive Morristown, NJ gallons)[iv] (2009)[ix] Positive impacts to business Lowering Product requires very high-quality continuity and reputation; meeting operations and WATER- water, so large quantities of water CO-BENEFITS: of compliance requirements; maintenance RELATED of a high quality, but not high reduction in energy use[v] costs ISSUE: enough for use in the product, were being discharged from plant VALUE DRIVERS Mariani Packing Company Began purifying and reusing Vacaville, CA 2006 ACTION: rejected water on-site through existing process Lowering WATER- Closure of the Publicly Owned operations and RELATED Treatment Works plant to which the FINANCIAL BENEFITS: $250,000 annual cost savings maintenance ISSUE: company sent its waste costs FINANCIAL Built an on-site water pre-treatment COSTS: No known costs Built water- plant that handles additional ACTION: related biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) Water savings of 26 gallons per WATER infrastructure levels BENEFITS: minute; 95% reduction in water assets waste Potential to result in decreased FINANCIAL Mitigate risk of wastewater treatment and disposal BENEFITS: regulatory costs fees VALUE DRIVERS Cisco Systems 2009-2010 FINANCIAL Lowering Discovered that it was possible to COSTS: Investment in plant WATER- operations and maintain product quality without a RELATED WATER TSS reduction from 1,500-3,000 to maintenance ISSUE: water-intensive wash stage of the BENEFITS: less than 10 ppm[vi] costs manufacturing process[x] Company-wide implementation of Food Processing Plant Midwest ACTION: a soldering practice that eliminates VALUE DRIVERS said wash stage (Anonymous) FINANCIAL Lowering Installation of an additional water BENEFITS: $1 million annual cost savings operations and ACTION: treatment system for optimized maintenance solids recovery WATER BENEFITS: 20 million gallons of water saved[xi] costs Ability to meet Publicly Owned FINANCIAL Built water- Treatment Works limits=$100,000 related BENEFITS: in annual cost savings VALUE DRIVERS Ford Motor Company Chihuahua City infrastructure 2010[xii] assets FINANCIAL Investment in water treatment COSTS: system Lowering Water stress in region where plant WATER- Mitigate risk of operations and is located; particularly scarce Improvement in sludge solids RELATED regulatory costs maintenance ISSUE: groundwater resources in the face level from less than 1% to more costs of increased pumping by the plant than 27% solids by weight; 25% WATER Built water- improvement in turbidity, TSS, and Began using reverse osmosis- BENEFITS: COD of plant effluent versus the related treated gray water from the city’s previous treatment protocol; almost infrastructure ACTION: water system for manufacturing 100% FOG removal [vii] assets processes, washing equipment, and washing floors in the facility FINANCIAL BENEFITS: Annual cost savings of $65,500 WATER Annual reduction in water use of BENEFITS: over 32,000 cubic feet 43 VALUE DRIVERS Kraft Foods Davenport, IA 2012[xiii] VALUE DRIVERS Finlays Tea 2009[xviii] Lowering Desire to reduce electricity use for Lowering WATER- Pressure from local utility to reduce operations and WATER- removing heat from refrigerated operations and RELATED ISSUE: BOD of waste water maintenance RELATED systems; desire to reduce natural maintenance costs ISSUE: gas use for heating water for costs Installation of a liquid/solid sanitation ACTION: Built water- Mitigate risk of separator related Implemented use of ammonia heat regulatory costs Return on investment within six ACTION: FINANCIAL infrastructure pump months due to minimizing penalty assets BENEFITS: FINANCIAL Annual operating cost savings of fines for high BOD levels BENEFITS: $267,407 WATER Reduction in wastewater; reduction BENEFITS: in municipal water use WATER 21 million gallons of annual water BENEFITS: savings VALUE DRIVERS Yunus Textile Mills, Pakistan (2013) VALUE DRIVERS Kraft Foods Jacksonville, FL 2009 [xix] Lowering WATER- Lowering WATER- Desire to increase sustainability of Corporate goal to reduce water use operations and RELATED operations and RELATED their operations ISSUE: by 21 per cent in 3 years maintenance ISSUE: maintenance costs costs Installation of bioreactor Installation of closed-loop system ACTION: to reuse water in coffee-grinding Built water- wastewater treatment plant and Built water- ACTION: equipment cooling related membrane-based ultra-filtration related infrastructure plant infrastructure FINANCIAL Reduction in water purchasing assets assets FINANCIAL BENEFITS: requirements Reduced cost of water purchases BENEFITS: WATER 20 million gallon reduction in water BENEFITS: FINANCIAL Cost of plant installation and use[xiv] COSTS: maintenance WATER Daily reduction of water use by VALUE DRIVERS Starbucks Coffee Company 2009 BENEFITS: 800,000 gallons Lowering Criticism by environmental groups WATER- operations and for continuously leaving the water RELATED maintenance ISSUE: running to clean spoons in its VALUE DRIVERS Shree Cement Rajasthan, India (2011) costs stores[xv] [xx] Built water- Installation of manually operated Lowering Location in semi-arid, water-scarce ACTION: WATER- related hand-meter faucets operations and region and desire to fulfill its infrastructure RELATED Reduction in water utility bills maintenance ISSUE: company policy of 100% utilization assets costs of wastewater (2014 = 21,366 stores x 100G/day FINANCIAL Mitigate risk of x $0.008106/G (2014 GWI value of Built water- (1) Installation of reverse osmosis BENEFITS: regulatory costs $2.13/m3) x 365 days = $17K/day = related water recycling facilities; (2) $6.32M/yr infrastructure installation of sewage treatment ACTION: FINANCIAL assets plants in five of its locations; (3) COSTS: Investment in new faucets installation of ACCs at all of its power plants WATER Water savings of 100 gallons per BENEFITS: store per day[xvi] Water recycling and reuse has saved $55,153 annually; sewage treatment plants have saved VALUE DRIVERS Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) 2010 $16,680; cost effectiveness of FINANCIAL ACCs is $1.76 per cubic meter of Lowering Implementation of the “Cleaner BENEFITS: water saved, ACCs have saved the operations and Production Programme” to engage company 793,500 cubic meters of ACTION: maintenance suppliers in water-scarce areas, on water per year, approximate cost costs water performance savings from ACCs= $1,396,560 Mitigate risk of FINANCIAL annually intangible asset BENEFITS: (1) Capital investment of $281,250 depreciation FINANCIAL and annual operating cost of COSTS: FINANCIAL COSTS: $46,819; (2) capital cost of $558,334; WATER 10-30% water savings per mill in 21 (3) capital cost between $15.52 and BENEFITS: mills[xvii] $17.38 million for each plant Received several national and international awards for implementing above water CO-BENEFITS: management efforts, including recognition by the World Economic Forum as Sustainability Champions. 44 VALUE DRIVERS Unilever[i] VALUE DRIVERS Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Revenue Pureit—an in-home water purifier (2011) impacts (New PRODUCT: that works without electricity or Built water- Rapid decrease of water supplies or expanded pressurized tap water related in the Copiapo River Aquifer water-sensitive infrastructure SITUATION: in northern Chile for local FINANCIAL markets & BENEFITS: Profits from product assets communities, farmers, and other water-related mining operations product Pureit has provided clean drinking Revenue innovation) WATER water to over 25 million customers; impacts (Ability Constructed desalination plant BENEFITS: aims to reach 500 million people to operate/ ACTION: and pipeline to meet long-term worldwide by 2020. future ability to operational water needs grow) FINANCIAL COSTS: $300 million[6] VALUE DRIVERS Proctor and Gamble[ii] Revenue PRODUCT: PUR packet impacts (Water- FINANCIAL VALUE DRIVERS Kimberly-Clark Kluang, Malaysia related product BENEFITS: Profits from product 2010[7] innovation) WATER 3 billion liters of clean drinking Built water- SITUATION: Seasonal drought BENEFITS: water delivered thus far related ACTION: Production curtailment infrastructure assets FINANCIAL VALUE DRIVERS Phillips Electronics[iii] COSTS: $2 million Revenue Revenue PRODUCT: UV lamps for water purification impacts (Ability impacts (Water- Installation of effluent recycling and FINANCIAL to operate/ related product Profits from product MITIGATION: other technologies to ensure more BENEFITS: future ability to innovation) secure future water supplies grow) WATER Efficient process for water BENEFITS: purification VALUE DRIVERS Iberdrola 2011 VALUE DRIVERS Southern Company 2007-2008[1] Lowering SITUATION: Decrease in availability of water operations and Lowering Drought conditions reached 22.1% rise in procurement costs maintenance IMPACTS: operations and D4— “exceptional drought”—over from 2010 SITUATION: costs maintenance much of the Southeastern United FINANCIAL costs States[2] COSTS: 9.6 million euros[8] Development of Production of hydroelectricity was water reserve reduced to 50% of normal capacity; assets IMPACTS: Southern Company forced to VALUE DRIVERS Honda Motor Company Ltd. replace hydroelectricity with higher- Lowering Damage to inventory, machinery, cost power sources operations and and equipment of Honda IMPACTS: FINANCIAL maintenance subsidiaries and affiliates negatively COSTS: $200 million costs impacted production Increased diversity of energy Revenue Honda’s losses totaled portfolio; created storage impacts (Cost of $174,590,272 in costs and ponds at key facilities; worked sale) FINANCIAL expenses; $94,517,703 in losses MITIGATION: with government agencies on COSTS: were in cost of sales; $80,159,309 Lowering contingency plans for subsequent were in selling, general, and administrative periods of drought[3] administrative expenses[1][1] costs VALUE DRIVERS Nestle, South Africa 2009[4] Water-related Drought (classified as “disaster” VALUE DRIVERS Intel financial costs and resulting in the need for 108.5 Revenue Damaged or dismantled hard-drive SITUATION: million Rand in assistance for one impacts (Ability IMPACTS: manufacturing operations led to a Lowering municipality alone) in the Western to operate/ slowing in PC production operations and Cape region of South Africa[5] future ability to maintenance FINANCIAL Intel fell $1 billion short of profit grow) costs Reduced water usage by 13,500 COSTS: projections[2] cubic meters per month through Built water- ACTION: installation of condensate recovery related infrastructure equipment and water-saving VALUE DRIVERS Japanese Automobile Industry retrofits assets Revenue FINANCIAL impacts (Ability COSTS: $222,658 FINANCIAL to operate/ COSTS: $450 million loss in profits[3] future ability to grow) 45 VALUE DRIVERS Thai Garment Industry[4] VALUE DRIVERS New Hampshire Municipalities Revenue Floods affected around 22 textile 2013[iv] impacts (Ability companies and 142 garment Water-related EPA to implement new TMDL and to operate/ IMPACTS: companies in Thailand, stopping REGULATION: regulatory costs runoff standards future ability to around 25% of garment production grow) in Thailand. Water-related Non-compliance fines of up to litigation costs $37,000 per day with compliance FINANCIAL potentially more costly than fines; COSTS: estimated compliance costs for FINANCIAL COSTS: City of Manchester= $750 million; The following two case studies highlight financial damages from recent estimated costs of contracting floods other than the Thailand floods of 2011. with law firm to fight the new standards=$350,000 shared across VALUE DRIVERS Sasol Limited 2010[5] 26 towns. Revenue SITUATION: Flooding of the Sasol Synfuels Plant impacts (Ability VALUE DRIVERS Cameron Bridge Distillery 2005[i] IMPACTS: Production Losses to operate/ Mitigate risk of future ability to FINANCIAL The distillery, named “Scotland’s $15.6 million intangible asset grow) COSTS: most polluting industrial site” depreciation SITUATION: in 2005 by the Scottish EPA, was Revenue unable to expand due to water VALUE DRIVERS H&M 2011 impacts (Ability shortages and rising pollution. to operate/ Revenue Extreme rain events in India, future ability to impacts (Ability SITUATION: Pakistan, and Australia coupled with The company was forced to invest grow) to operate/ increased demand for cotton $100 million to cut wastewater future ability to Built water- FINANCIAL discharge by 30%; it also began Price of cotton skyrocketed to COSTS: reusing distilling by-products in grow) related IMPACTS: record highs of over $1.90 per biogas for its steam boiler instead of infrastructure Lowering pound[6] assets dumping them in the Firth of Forth. operations and maintenance In an effort to maintain their “cheap costs FINANCIAL chic” brand by insulating consumers Mitigate risk of COSTS: from rising prices, H&M profits VALUE DRIVERS The Coca Cola Company Kerala, India regulatory costs dropped 30% to $4 billion[7] 2004[i] Mitigate risk of intangible asset Coca-Cola was involved in an VALUE DRIVERS Oland Brewery Halifax, Nova Scotia depreciation ongoing legal battle regarding water 2013[i] Revenue withdrawals and water quality with regards to their Kerala, Plachimada, Water-related Local utility Halifax Water plans impacts (Ability SITUATION: plant; despite ultimately winning regulatory costs to increase effluent surcharges by to operate/ REGULATION: a case in the Indian Supreme Court 396% for BOD and 320% for TSS; future ability to allowing the plant to stay open, plans to increase water rates by 50% grow) negative publicity forced Coke to FINANCIAL Company expects its water bill to Built water- keep the plant closed. COSTS: increase by $1 million. related infrastructure assets VALUE DRIVERS Garrison Brewing Halifax, Nova Scotia Water-related Plant was worth $25 million;[ii] 2013[ii] regulatory costs FINANCIAL COSTS: litigation costs Water-related Local utility Halifax Water plans to REGULATION: Water-related regulatory costs increase rates by 50% for businesses litigation costs FINANCIAL Company expects its water bill to COSTS: increase from $20,000 to $30,000 VALUE DRIVERS The Coca Cola Company Ann Arbor, MI VALUE DRIVERS Duro Textiles Massachusetts 2007[iii] 2006[iii] Water-related EPA standards for wastewater Mitigate risk of Protests against Coke’s water REGULATION: intangible asset use practices in Kerala and labor regulatory costs discharge under the Clean Water Act depreciation practices in Columbia resulted in Water-related FINANCIAL removal of Coke products from the $480,000 in fines; litigation costs Revenue SITUATION: litigation costs COSTS: University of Michigan from Jan-Apr impacts 2006, despite the fact that some (Decrease of the protesters’ accusations were in sales to unfounded. water-sensitive markets) FINANCIAL Loss of sales from all vending COSTS: locations and on-campus eateries 46 A.3 | WATER VALUATION INITIATIVES CATEGORY OF TOOL PUBLICLY LEAD APPROACH AVAIL- DATA/ ABLE ORGANIZA- TO WATER FRAME- DATA- SOFTWARE/ INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION TION(S) VALUATION SPECIFIC? WORK BASE CALCULATOR YES/NO Water impact footprinting tool WEBSITE: Water Impact http://www.veoliawaterst.com/ Veolia N/A Yes x Index sustainability/water-footprint/water- footprint-indicator/ A methodology for monetizing water- related costs, including risks, for business True Cost of and strategic planning Veolia Various Yes x x Water Tool WEBSITE: http://www.veoliawaterst.com/ sustainability/true-cost-water/ Online tool to calculate the estimated risk- adjusted future cost of water at a site level Risk- Water Risk to inform decisions that improve business Ecolab, adjusted Monetizer vitality Yes x Yes Trucost water Tool WEBSITE: pricing http://waterriskmonetizer.com Outlines the Natural Capital Protocol project, Valuing Nat- provides a high-level summary of the stock ural Capital take results and a proposed straw man/draft outline for the Protocol for consultation. Ecosystem in Business: Natural Capi- service No x Yes Towards a WEBSITE: tal Coalition valuation Harmonized http://www.naturalcapitalcoalition.org/js/ Framework plugins/filemanager/files/Valuing_Nature_ in_Business_Part_1_Framework_WEB.pdf Existing initiatives and applications is a compilation summarising existing initiatives to provide a baseline on the existing Valuing Nat- landscape as follows. This is intended as a useful resource to demystify the growing Ecosystem ural Capital Natural Capi- volume of initiatives in this space. services No x Yes for Business: tal Coalition valuation Taking Stock WEBSITE: http://www.naturalcapitalcoalition.org/js/ plugins/filemanager/files/Valuing_Nature_ in_Business_Part_2_Taking_Stock_WEB.pdf Standing for Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services, ARIES is an integrated Basque ecosystem services modeling methodology Centre for and web-accessible platform. It allows users Climate Ecosystem to map, model, and quantify ecosystem Change, ARIES services No x Yes services flow, and deliver between source University valuation and use locations. of Vermont, Conservation WEBSITE: International http://www.ariesonline.org/ A web-based tool for analysing ecosystem services, identifying beneficiaries of those King’s Col- services, and assessing the impacts of lege London human interventions such as land use (models), Ecosystem Co$ting change upon them. AmbioTEK services No x Yes Nature (software), valuation WEBSITE: and UN- http://www.policysupport.org/ EP-WCMC costingnature An online accounting system software that quantifies the direct and indirect role of The Ecologically various natural resources for supporting Centre for Input- Based Life various economic activities. Resilience, output / No x Yes? Cycle Assess- Ohio State LCA ment WEBSITE: University http://resilience.eng.ohio-state.edu/eco-lca/ 47 CATEGORY OF TOOL PUBLICLY LEAD APPROACH AVAIL- DATA/ ABLE ORGANIZA- TO WATER FRAME- DATA- SOFTWARE/ INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION TION(S) VALUATION SPECIFIC? WORK BASE CALCULATOR YES/NO A free, open-access software tool for Natural Cap- mapping, quantifying and valuing ecosystem services at the site or landscape Stanford ital project— scale. InVEST quantifies nature’s benefits in University, Integrated both biophysical terms, such as water flows, University of Ecosystem Valuation of and economic terms, such as avoided cost Minnesota, services No x Yes Environmen- or net present value. WWF, and valuation tal Services The Nature and Trade- WEBSITE: Conservancy offs (InVEST) http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/ InVEST.html PwC’s TIMM framework helps business leaders and stakeholders understand how a business’ activities contribute to the economy, public finances, the environment and wider society. By valuing social, environmental, tax and economic impacts, PwC business is now able to compare the total Total Impact impacts (both positive and negative) of Measure- their strategies and investment choices. It PwC No x No? ment and allows leaders to see at a glance not only Management the impact, but also the trade-offs between (TIMM) alternative strategies and to identify the optimal decision for stakeholders. WEBSITE: http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/sustainability/ publications/total-impact-measurement- management/index.jhtml A subscription-based tool for rapid, preliminary estimates of the value of an area’s ecosystem services. SERVES uses Simple Effec- benefits transfer to obtain an estimate for tive Resource the value of ecosystem services through Ecosystem for Valuing the analysis of valuation studies that have Earth Eco- services No x No Ecosystem been previously carried out to value similar nomics valuation Services goods or services in similar geographies and (SERVES) contexts. WEBSITE: http://www.esvaluation.org/serves.php An extended multi-regional input-output model covering 45 regions and 130 sectors, used to gain transparency on the impacts Systain caused by business activities Input- Otto Group No x No (estell) WEBSITE: output http://www.systain.com/fileadmin/ Dateien_Systain/Daten/Download_ Dokumente/sys_Folder_estell_engl.pdf A way to measure the broader value that a company creates across economic, social and environmental indicators. As well as The Crown covering direct impacts, Total Contribution Estate, NEF goes further to account for the impacts of Consulting, Total Contri- supply chains (indirect) and the enabled Route2Sus- No x ? bution contribution of others on The Crown Estate tainability, land. Landman WEBSITE: Economics http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/about- us/total-contribution/ 48 CATEGORY OF TOOL PUBLICLY LEAD APPROACH AVAIL- DATA/ ABLE ORGANIZA- TO WATER FRAME- DATA- SOFTWARE/ INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION TION(S) VALUATION SPECIFIC? WORK BASE CALCULATOR YES/NO Enables companies to assess the environmental impacts and natural capital costs associated with company operations and supply chains through a secure online data platform. Using the Natural Capital Analyzer, companies can screen high- impact operating sites and suppliers, assess Trucost Nat- financial risk and opportunity from regional ural Capital natural capital cost scenarios, including Trucost No x No? Analyzer carbon taxes, water availability and land use, and manage natural capital impacts through customisable dashboards and reports. WEBSITE: http://www.trucost.com/ naturalcapitalanalyzer NCMS is a cloud-based software system Climate Earth that allows a company to gain insight and Natural Capi- actively manage the risks and opportunities tal Manage- associated with natural capital No x No ment System consumption. (NCMS) WEBSITE: http://www.climateearth.com/ncms/ A flexible framework-based tool that helps companies evaluate their impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities associated with natural capital; e.g., Environmen- biodiversity and minerals and other tal Risk, Op- environmental parameters such as GHG Sustain portunity and emissions, noise and dust. The approach Value, allows qualitative, quantitative, and No x No? Valuation Antofagasta Assessment monetary valuation of landholdings and Minerals S.A. (EROVA) Tool project impacts, as well as assessing the distribution of values and impacts among stakeholders. WEBSITE: http://www.sustainvalue.co.uk/EROVA.php A suite of resources that brings together comprehensive guidance for environmental Externality externality assessment, stimulated directly Valuation by business needs CPSL Natural Assessment Capital Lead- No x x No WEBSITE: Tool (E.Va- ers Platform lu.A.Te) http://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/Business- Platforms/Natural-Capital-Leaders- Platform.aspx The ENVALUE environmental valuation database, developed by the New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency New South and first released in 1995, is a systematic Wales Envi- ENVALUE collection of environmental valuation ronmental No database studies presented in an on-line database. Protection WEBSITE: Agency http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/ envalueapp/ EVRI is a searchable storehouse of more Environmen- than 2,000 empirical studies on the tal Valuation economic value of environmental benefits Reference and human health effects. No x Inventory WEBSITE: (EVRI) https://www.evri.ca/Global/ HomeAnonymous.aspx 49 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The report was prepared by Alexis Morgan and Stuart Orr of the World Wide Fund for Nature with support provided by the International Finance Corporation and with early ideas funded by the WWF–USA and Ecolab. The report was reviewed, edited, and revised by Alex Burger with the help of Shilpa Banerji all under the guidance and leadership of Veronica Nyhan Jones of the International Finance Corporation. The report also benefited greatly from the comments of Emily McKenzie (WWF–UK), Jochem Verberne (WWF–International), Oliver Männicke (WWF–International), Rachel Jacobson (WWF Intern), Arjun Bhalla (IFC), David Poulter (IFC) John Middleton (IFC), William Llwelyn Davies (IFC), and Nathan Monash (Lundin Gold). And additional thanks to Toniqua Hay for help with the photographs. The report was designed by Rikki Campbell Ogden, with final edits by Elsie Williams. ABOUT WWF ABOUT IFC WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private environment and to build a future in which humans live in capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to harmony with nature by conserving the world’s biological businesses and governments. diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources The conclusions and judgments contained in this report should is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and not be attributed to, and do not necessarily represent the wasteful consumption. views of, IFC or its Board of Directors or the World Bank or its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. IFC and the World Bank do not guarantee the accuracy of the data in this publication and accept no responsibility for any consequences of their use. WWF International | International Finance Corporation AUGUST 2015