WWF-P, Nestle sign MoU on sustainable water use

As part of its water stewardship strategy to engage with stakeholders of the Indus basin, World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nestlé Pakistan. The agreement was signed by Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF-P, and Magdi Batato Managing Director, Nestlé Pakistan. Through this initiative both organisations will work together on water stewardship at the Indus basin level and develop a city-wide partnership for sustainable water use and water stewardship in the entire region.
The MoU supports an improvement in sustainability of production and consumption practices, with a particular focus on water use and water management in Nestlé plants and production units. As part of its commitment to water stewardship, WWF-P will support the corporate organisation in improving its water usage within its premises and supply chain.
Speaking on the occasion, Hammad Naqi Khan said unsustainable waster use and its poor management, in addition to threats posed by climate change, are cause increasing water scarcity in Pakistan. "It is expected that businesses will, in the future, face risks related to water quantity, quality as well as regulation of the resource. We appreciate this step taken by Nestlé Pakistan in recognising the role it must play in the sustainable use and conservation of water. We hope other organisations will also step forward to work with us to manage their water footprint," he added.
Magdi Batato said Nestlé takes water conservation, a critical pillar in our creating shared value portfolio, very seriously. "We have been consistently improving our water footprint but believe that our partnership with WWF-P will help us in achieving water stewardship milestones sooner and more efficiently. Most importantly, this will help us to look outside our operations to further reduce the water footprint across our value chain. For one, the large number of farmers that we work with offers a great opportunity for increasing awareness about how to use water responsibly in the agriculture sector," he added. WWF-P, in partnership with WWF-UK and Cleaner Production Institute (CPI), launched the project 'City-wide partnership for sustainable water and water stewardship in SMEs in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2013.