Braskem joins the UN Global Compact’s “Open Call for Water Action”

UN Global Compact appeal seeks solutions to the global water crisis and engagement to advance SDG 6, which aims to ensure access to water and sanitation for all

Between March 22 and 24, the UN held the Water Conference 2023 in New York, with the theme “Water for Sustainable Development”. Heads of State, government officials, world leaders and thousands of society representatives were present and received the warning about the imminent risk of a global water scarcity crisis caused mainly by the indiscriminate use of water and climate change.

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Braskem was present at the conference and, together with 50 of the world’s largest companies, joined the “Open Call for Water Action”. In a collective commitment, the private sector was called upon to engage in finding solutions to the global water crisis and initiatives to advance SDG 6 by ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.

The strategy aims to contribute to the water security of 3 billion people and help provide safe drinking water and sanitation for more than 300 million people. By joining the “Open Call for Water Action,” companies commit to working to build water resilience into their own global operations and supply chains. They also take responsibility for developing cross-sector cooperation actions so that the water impact is positive in at least 100 priority basins listed in this water stress scenario by 2030.

It is important to highlight that, besides SDG 6, SDG 12, which addresses sustainable production and consumption, focusing on global and local actions, is also related to the water issue on the planet. The “Open Call for Water Action”, held on the first day of the conference, was considered an important achievement of the world meeting, offering a unified commitment from the business sector to the Water Action Agenda.

Marina Rossi, Sustainable Development Manager at Braskem, who attended the conference and participated in a panel promoted by the UN Global Compact in Brazil, states that Braskem understands water is a resource that must be protected, preserved and managed in a sustainable way. Since 2002, the company invested more than BRL280 million in projects to improve our water efficiency and for the treatment of effluents in our industrial operations.

“Through the use of the chemicals and plastics we produce, we work with our customers to develop WASH solutions (water, sanitation & hygiene), such as pipes, water tanks, water treatment products, among others. In addition, we have implemented various initiatives to continuously improve our water resource management processes and reduce our water footprint. We also seek water reuse projects that promote circularity. By 2030, we aim to achieve 100% of water consumption from safe sources, which means reducing the use of sources that may compete with the population’s use – currently, 65.3% of the water used by Braskem’s operations comes from these sources. Braskem’s actions are based on the requirements of the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact platform formed by companies from around the world committed to advancing water management. Braskem is also listed in the CDP Investor Water leadership ranking and we have joined the ‘Water Resilience Coalition’ and ‘Race to Resilience’ initiatives,” added Marina.