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Year: 2025

AWS China Representative Jason Lu accepts a Bloomberg Green award in November 2025.
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AWS named one of Bloomberg Green’s ‘ESG Innovation Drivers’

Shanghai, November 27, 2025 — The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) has been honoured as an ESG Innovation Driver in the prestigious Bloomberg Green The Watchlist 2026, unveiled during a high-profile ceremony at the MGM Shanghai West Bund.

The Bloomberg Green ranking, which aligns with China’s “Dual Carbon” goals and global sustainability priorities, introduced two new categories this year: the Green Financial List and ESG Advocate, alongside its established recognitions. AWS’s selection under ESG Innovation Driver highlights organisations that deliver professional support for sustainable development through pioneering methodologies, industry standards and transformative initiatives.

The announcement dinner gathered leaders from financial institutions, listed companies and ESG-focused organisations for an evening of dialogue under the theme “Compliance as the Baseline, Value as the High Bar.” The event aimed to foster collaboration and forward-looking perspectives on sustainability trends.

Jason Lu, AWS’s China Representative, expressed gratitude for the recognition:

“Thank you to Bloomberg Green for recognising the Alliance for Water Stewardship on The Watchlist 2026. Water stewardship is a critical part of corporate sustainability and ESG efforts. AWS supports this work through the creation of the first international water stewardship standard – the AWS Standard – and our global water stewardship community, providing a clear framework and practical momentum. We are pleased to see the AWS Standard being implemented by a growing number of companies worldwide, with China leading globally in both the number of AWS-certified sites and the rate of growth in certifications. This recognition from Bloomberg Green will inspire us to continue advancing water stewardship and encourage broader engagement in this vital practice.”

This achievement underscores AWS’s leadership in promoting water stewardship in China and globally as a cornerstone of ESG strategies, reinforcing its commitment to driving systemic change and supporting businesses in meeting sustainability goals.

Planning to implement the AWS Standard and achieve certification in China?

Join our new short online training course to help you quickly grasp the core requirements of the AWS Standard and prepare for successful implementation. This course is only available to participants in China.

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Building water resilience in Bangladesh’s textile sector

The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) convened over 60 key stakeholders in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 29 October for the workshop to mark the completion of the first AWS Accelerator programme. 

Supported by AWS Funding Member Primark, the AWS Accelerator brought together 16 textile suppliers to advance water stewardship practices in Dhaka’s industrial catchments. Throughout the programme, sites have helped gather information on their catchment, completed AWS Standard System Training, participated in a series of knowledge-sharing workshops, and developed water stewardship strategies and plans. The sites also made a public commitment to water stewardship earlier this year.   

This final workshop celebrated the completion of site evaluations, marking a major milestone in benchmarking site-level progress against the AWS Standard. The event brought together representatives from global brands, government agencies, development partners, NGOs and industry leaders. Participants included:

  • Global brands: Primark, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Celio, Elevate Textiles, Tally Weijl and Bestseller
  • Government agencies: Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO), Local Goverment Division
  • Development partners: GIZ, Netherlands Embassy
  • NGOs and industry leaders: 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG), the Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)

A high-level panel discussion on ‘Building Water Resilience’ explored how corporate leadership, science and policy can come together to strengthen the Dhaka catchment’s resilience to shared water challenges. Speakers from WARPO, Dhaka University, the Netherlands Embassy, 2030 WRG and the private sector emphasised collective action and financing as the keys to sustainable water management. 

 As AWS prepares to launch the next Accelerator cohort in Greater Dhaka in 2026, we are exploring wider collaborations with partners to unlock finance for producers and industrial parks to access water technologies and build collective action pathways. It is increasingly clear that scaling water stewardship across the country’s primary business sector will be key to enhancing the country’s resilience and competitiveness. 

“We’re incredibly proud of the participating sites for completing the first AWS Accelerator, and appreciative of Primark’s continued support. Collaborating with textile suppliers to advance water stewardship in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has been a truly rewarding experience. We hope this initiative has created a ripple effect – one that inspires more companies to join and helps build a thriving community of water stewards in Dhaka.”

Shahid Kamal, AWS Bangladesh Coordinator
Shahid Kamal

If you are interested in joining the upcoming Accelerator programme in Dhaka, please contact us for more information. 

Participants at the AWS Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum 2025.
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AWS convenes the second Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum

The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) China Representative Office hosted the ​​Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum​​ in the Jing’an District of Shanghai on 22 October 2025.

Representatives from the public sector, international brands, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), certified sites and auditors gathered to discuss the latest progress in water stewardship across China and explore the proposed updates in the AWS Standard Version 3.0.

The event commenced with opening remarks from ​​AWS CEO, Mr. Adrian Sym​​. The morning session featured insights from public sector agencies, including the ​​Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation​​, Shanghai Water Authority, China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS) and WWF. Specialists shared perspectives on the development of standardisation in China, national and Shanghai water conservation regulations and the requirements, and international cooperation in water stewardship standardisation​.

Mr. Yan Bai from CNIS announced the establishment of the ‘Water Stewardship Standardization Working Group’ under the ‘National Technical Committee for Water Conservation Standardization’ and introduced its members. AWS representatives hold the positions of Deputy Head and Deputy Secretary-General in the working group.​ Subsequently, Ms. Rong Cai, also from CNIS, presented on the ongoing cooperation between CNIS and AWS and launched the China Water Stewardship Blue Paper (2024 Edition), co-developed by both organisations. The Blue Paper provides a comprehensive overview of water stewardship principles, the AWS Standard and the China water stewardship standard, pathways for pursuing water stewardship certification, and case studies from certified sites.​ The first morning session concluded with an introduction by AWS China Representative, Mr. Jason Lu, to AWS’s work in China and its future plans and projects.

The focus then shifted towards water stewardship in practice. Ms. Lisa Seufert, Managing Director of Water Stewardship Assurance Services (WSAS), first presented a global market overview of AWS certification and announced that SGS has become the second AWS certification audit partner in China, following TÜV Rheinland.​ Then representatives from ​​Ecolab, STMicroelectronics, WUS Printed Circuit Co., Ltd. and TCI shared their experiences in developing water stewardship strategies, implementing action plans and pursuing AWS certification. ​​ The morning session concluded with a panel discussion in which ​​these representatives​​ explored how relevant parties can assist sites in implementing the AWS Standard more efficiently.

The afternoon session delved into water stewardship in Environmental, Governance and Social (ESG) disclosures and ratings. Representatives from TÜV Rheinland, Colorful Earth, CDP and GRESB provided an overview of the CSRD, SBTN, CDP and GRESB. A subsequent panel discussion with representatives from these organisations then explored how AWS certification can better support these initiatives in China.

The final session began with the AWS Standard V3.0. AWS China Coordinator, Ms. Cindy Chen, introduced the major changes, the provisional launch plan and transition timeline for AWS Standard V3.0. The session concluded with a panel discussion featuring four consulting companies, which explored how AWS can support them in promoting AWS certification across China.

This second Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum also marks two years since the establishment of the AWS China Representative Office. It is clear since the launch of the representative office that water stewardship continues to gain traction across the country. With 61 sites certified at the end of September 2025, China has the largest number of AWS certified sites in the world. To help jumpstart water stewardship, the AWS China Representative Office runs AWS Collective Action Accelerators in Wusongjiang and the Pearl River Delta a rolling basis. Please get in touch with us to find out more.

“Inspired may be an overused word, but it perfectly captures the energy and pride at the Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum – where Chinese practitioners showcased their experience in AWS certification and collaboration across sectors to advance water stewardship.”

Adrian Sym, AWS Chief Executive Officer

"AWS successfully held the first Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum last year, and this year's forum has been further enhanced in both format and content, yielding highly commendable results. It is hoped that the forum will continue to expand its influence and drive the participation of more stakeholders in the practice of water stewardship.” 

Ms. Jing Li, Director of Standard Innovation Development Division, Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation
Download the Blue Paper (in Chinese)

Sponsorship

We would like to thank this year’s sponsor, TÜV Rheinland, for their support of this year’s Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum.

Photos from the event

Participants at the Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum
Participants at the Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum
Adrian Sym, AWS CEO
Adrian Sym, AWS CEO
Adrian Sym, AWS CEO
Adrian Sym, AWS CEO
Jason Lu, AWS China Representative
Jason Lu, AWS China Representative
Panel discussion with four consulting companies
Panel discussion with four consulting companies
Cindy Chen, AWS China Coordinator
Cindy Chen, AWS China Coordinator
Representatives from TÜV Rheinland, Colorful Earth, CDP, and GRESB
Representatives from TÜV Rheinland, Colorful Earth, CDP, and GRESB
Representatives from ​​Ecolab, STMicroelectronics, WUS Printed Circuit Co., Ltd. and TCI discussing their AWS certification experience
Representatives from ​​Ecolab, STMicroelectronics, WUS Printed Circuit Co., Ltd. and TCI discussing their AWS certification experience
Lisa Seufert, WSAS Managing Director
Lisa Seufert, WSAS Managing Director
Participants at the Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum
Participants at the Shanghai Water Stewardship Forum
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Strengthening support for AWS Members in Japan

"Japanese companies are already aware of water risks, and water is deeply embedded in Japanese culture. I see great potential to build on this foundation and further strengthen Japan’s leadership in sustainable water management."

- Kei Namba, AWS Sector Coordinator - Japan

As water challenges in Japan are becoming increasingly complex – from aging infrastructure to shifting agricultural landscapes – we’re strengthening our support to AWS Members in the region. We’re delighted to welcome Kei Namba as our AWS Sector Coordinator – Japan. With a rich and diverse background in water sustainability, Kei brings a deep commitment to advancing water stewardship as a powerful, market-driven approach to collective action.

In this Q&A with Kei, she shares her journey, insights into Japan’s unique water context, and the role of the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group in advancing sustainable water management.

Could you share with us your background and what inspired you to focus your career on water stewardship?

Over the years, I’ve worked on water sustainability from multiple perspectives – climate change, corporate sustainability – across different regions and sectors. My experience ranges from regional water and climate debates in Berlin and Brandenburg in Germany, to water and sanitation governance in the context of development cooperation. My PhD focused on Japan’s water governance engagement in Southeast Asia, and I’ve also been particularly interested in multi-stakeholder initiatives.

What inspires me most about water stewardship is that it’s a market-driven, cross-sectoral approach that enables collective action. With the current momentum around sustainability reporting and finance, I believe there’s a real opportunity to elevate water as a strategic issue, and joining AWS at this time feels both timely and meaningful.

Can you share some of the unique water-related challenges Japan faces?

Both geographical and social demographics make Japan’s water-related challenges unique. The country has plenty of rain, but its steep and mountainous land makes water storage difficult. Social changes also play a role, as the number of farmers drops, fewer rice fields are maintained. This matters because rice paddies help reduce floods (especially for downstream areas), recharge groundwater and protect biodiversity. In urban areas, transitioning to blue-green infrastructure through nature-based solutions is essential for better water management, mitigating urban heat (which can be intense during summer months) and flood risks. Japan also faces pollution issues like PFAS, aging infrastructure and complex water governance. These challenges show how water, farming and disaster risk reduction are connected – this is why collective action is essential.

Can you briefly describe the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group?

Convened by AWS, the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group (JWS) aims to advance water stewardship practices across Japan. It seeks to foster a collaborative environment where organisations from various sectors can work together to address water-related risks in catchments both within Japan and abroad. JWS brings together AWS Members based in Japan or with a presence in Japan.

JWS is highlighting water stewardship as an approach to address water challenges in Japan. Through a variety of activities, like training, networking and collaboration at a basin level, members demonstrate the positive impact water stewardship can have.

What are you looking forward to the most as the new AWS Sector Coordinator for Japan?

I’m really looking forward to working with a wide range of stakeholders to promote water stewardship in Japan and beyond. Many Japanese companies are already aware of water risks, and water is deeply embedded in Japanese culture. I see great potential to build on this foundation and further strengthen Japan’s leadership in sustainable water management.

When you are not at work, what are your favourite activities?

I like dogs and enjoy dancing. I also like swimming – whether it is in the sea or in lakes. Though I grew up near the mountains and the coast, I have always been an ocean person.

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Celebrating 10 years of AWS Membership: A global movement for water stewardship

In 2015, the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) was formally established as a membership-based organisation. Since then, AWS has grown into a vibrant global community united by a shared commitment to credible water stewardship.

To mark a decade of AWS Membership, we are proud to share a short film featuring voices from 10 AWS Member organisations around the world. These members reflect the diversity, passion and impact of the AWS network – from businesses to NGOs and the public sector – all working towards a vision of a more water-secure world. Watch the film (shown below) and hear from AWS Members. 

Their insights underscore the value of AWS Membership: connection, collaboration, and the opportunity to drive meaningful change. Whether you are considering joining for the first time or renewing your membership for another year, this milestone is a celebration of what we have achieved together and an invitation to be part of what comes next.

Save the date: AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum

Looking ahead, the AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum will take place during the week of June 22, 2026 – a key milestone as the water sector prepares for the 2026 UN Water Conference. As always, AWS Members will receive early access to registration.

 

Ready to start your water stewardship journey? 

Join the Alliance for Water Stewardship as we continue to grow a global movement for responsible water use.

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AWS and CNIS sign Memorandum of Understanding to scale water stewardship standards

The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) and the China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS), the publisher of China national water stewardship standard, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the 6th China Quality Conference in Nanjing on 16 September 2025. 


The MOU, signed by Adrian Sym, CEO of AWS, and Fangping Luo, Head of CNIS, aims to jointly advance an effective framework for water stewardship standardisation. As part of this agreement, AWS and CNIS will:

  1. Organise an annual academic conference to disseminate the principles of water stewardship and share experiences and insights related to water stewardship standards.
  2. Draw on the strengths and resources of both parties to offer consultation and support on water stewardship standardisation collaboration – including industry associations, research organisations, enterprises and other relevant stakeholders.
  3. Enhance joint capacity development by developing training programmes on water stewardship standardisation to support the adoption and implementation of related standards.
  4. Conduct research to make water stewardship methods more consistent and to foster collaboration on standardisation.
  5. Collaborate on the development of standards in the field of water stewardship and support experts from CNIS to participate in the revision of the AWS Standard. 

"As China continues to elevate the role of standards in driving high-quality development, we look forward to working with CNIS to optimise the architecture for scaled adoption of water stewardship standards and AWS certification."

Adrian Sym, AWS Chief Executive Officer
Adrian Sym, CEO of AWS, and Fangping Luo , Head of CNIS sign MoU

L-R: Adrian Sym, CEO of AWS, and Fangping Luo, Head CNIS.

Japan Water Stewardship Forum
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Japan Water Stewardship Forum 2025: A milestone for cross-sector collaboration

Tokyo, Japan - 1 August, 2025

On Japan Water Day, the Japan Water Stewardship Forum 2025 brought together 170 participants in Tokyo from diverse sectors to advance collective water stewardship in Japan. Hosted by the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group and convened by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), the Forum served as a dynamic platform for dialogue, learning and partnership-building among leaders in business, government, civil society and water experts.

The event highlighted the growing urgency to address Japan’s water challenges – from climate-related risks to supply chain sustainability – and demonstrated how cross-sector collaboration can drive meaningful change.

The Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group, formed by AWS Members in Japan, includes MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Kurita Water Industries, Suntory Holdings, Coca-Cola (Japan) Company and Yachiyo Engineering. WWF Japan serves as an advisor to the group, and Apple is a supporter of the group’s activities through their funding membership of AWS.

Together, these organisations are working to build recognition and demand for credible water stewardship among companies operating in and from Japan.

Setting the stage for stewardship

The Forum opened with remarks from AWS, providing a global perspective on water stewardship and introducing the founding purpose of the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group. The remarks emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing Japan’s water-related challenges.

Government perspectives and local action

In the first keynote session, representatives from The Secretariat of the Headquarters for Water Cycle Policy, Kumamoto City, and Nasushiobara City shared insights into national water cycle policy and local government initiatives. Speakers highlighted successful case studies of public-sector engagement in water conservation.

Collective action and innovation

A dynamic panel discussion explored the possibilities and challenges of collective action in catchments, the integration of natural capital and investment, and the sharing and scaling of success stories and innovation. The panel, formed from MS&AD Insurance Group, Yachiyo Engineering and Suntory Holdings, and moderated by WWF Japan, shared practical examples of stewardship in action. They emphasised that meaningful impact requires collaboration and collective action, as no single actor can drive change alone.

Global perspectives and corporate leadership

The second keynote, delivered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), focused on solving water issues through practical integrated water resource management and water stewardship. This was followed by a second panel discussion featuring leaders from Kurita Water Industries, Coca-Cola (Japan) Company and Waterplan, who addressed corporate water stewardship and its relevance to business, supply chain challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. The session reinforced the key message that collaborative action is essential as stewardship expands from internal operations to the entire supply chain.

Closing reflections

The Forum concluded with remarks from AWS, who shared the organisation’s ambition to scale water stewardship in Japan, and provided updates on the upcoming AWS Standard Version 3.0.

“The Japan Water Stewardship Forum marks a pivotal moment in the journey to advance credible water stewardship in Japan. Bringing together leaders from business, government and civil society creates the opportunity for deeper collaboration and stronger action on water stewardship. With a solid foundation now in place, our ambition is to support more companies operating in and from Japan in adopting credible water stewardship. This is an exciting new chapter for water stewardship in Japan and AWS is proud to support it.”

Adrian Sym, Chief Executive, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)

The Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group welcomes participation from public, private and civil society sectors committed to advancing water stewardship in their organisations and beyond. Participants must first become AWS Members.

For more information visit a4ws.org/japan

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AWS Forum 2025: Q&A with Faith Lawrence

The AWS Forum programme takes us to the heart of water stewardship in action, bringing together old friends who have journeyed along the water stewardship way, and also introduces new friends and different pathways."

- Faith Lawrence, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Policy Engagement, AWS
Dr Faith Lawrence

As AWS prepares for our 2025 Global Water Stewardship Forum, which will be held on 24 and 25 June at the EICC in Edinburgh, we caught up with Faith Lawrence, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Policy Engagement, to discuss what participants can look forward to this year.

Can you give us an overview of what attendees expect to learn and see at this year’s Forum?

The 2025 AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum continues to be the premier space dedicated to advancing water stewardship. This time around, it will be a ‘water stewardship immersion’ that is designed to spark interest, reflection, questions, constructive discussion, and hopefully, inspire. The programme takes us to the heart of water stewardship in action, bringing together old friends who have journeyed along the water stewardship way, and also introduces new friends and different pathways. The mix of old and new enables us to deepen our engagement and inspire new interest and discussions on how to elevate water stewardship within ongoing global and national discussions on water security, climate, sustainability, inclusion, and economic growth – to mention a few.

This year’s forum highlights themes that have kept the water stewardship community busy over the past years, but also introduces exciting, unfolding opportunities. Amongst the many programme highlights, participants should look out for the conversations that will shape where we take water stewardship in the coming years. These include topics ranging from finance for action, water stewardship and tech, biodiversity, national policy collaboration, reuse, and how to advance collective action.

As the global water agenda gains momentum, particularly around COP30 and the 2026 UN Water Conference, the forum presents an opportunity for us to assess how we align water stewardship with broader climate and water resilience efforts.  These reflections and insights will form part of the final session on international policy dialogues.

Whether you are interested in collective action, embedding water stewardship in global supply chains, or wanting to be inspired by the exciting developments, the Forum presents an opportunity for us all. Importantly, we will also dive into the all-important discussion on the AWS Standard V3.0: Second Global Public Consultation.

Our members have a wide range of options to choose from, with parallel session options that reflect both the diversity of topics and the depth and quality of ongoing work across our community. There is so much to look forward to, including the Edinburgh WaterLogues, which AWS will host immediately after the AWS Forum on Thursday, 26 June.

What are some of the highlights from this year’s programme? Are there any sessions that you are particularly looking forward to?

The Stocktaking on Water Stewardship session will provide an important opportunity for collective reflection on progress, convergence, and challenges. It also offers an opportunity for a collective conversation on prioritisation, especially in today’s context of global uncertainty. This is compounded by climate variability, differing global perspectives on sustainability, and socio-political turmoil, and is often much closer to home than we would like. I am hoping that our reflections will touch on why (now more than ever!) we need to emphasise convergence, act collectively, and continue to demonstrate through our best practice, the impact and credibility that comes from our collective water stewardship ambitions.

Another thought-provoking session will be one on Finance for Action on Stewardship. In my view, this is a critical conversation and most definitely necessary as we advance towards deepening our collective action efforts in catchments and sites where water stewardship efforts are underway. How do we really, practically get to finance the action? We need to be reflecting on the financing mechanisms necessary to scale water stewardship and invest in processes that will both enable and expedite it.

Two additional sessions I am looking forward to are on Re-use and Water Stewardship and Opportunities and Learnings. The reuse discussion will feature experienced voices from panellists who have observed and contributed to global re-use discussions and who have experience with advocating beyond the fence-line action. This includes connecting water stewardship and reuse to water security, circular economy, and ongoing resilience efforts. Finally, the industrial parks session will incorporate perspectives on these developments as a potential opportunity to scale up water stewardship, highlight lessons learned, and explore how to strategically align efforts to advance collective water stewardship ambitions within strategic industrial areas.

If there is one key message you would like to share with Forum participants, what would it be?

In an increasingly complex and fast-changing world, the distinctive quality and value of our water stewardship community is our unwavering commitment to credible water stewardship and collective action. As we gather to explore, learn and immerse ourselves in all facets of water stewardship, I hope the theme of convergence continues and that we create the space to openly reflect on the exemplary journey of water stewardship up to now. This includes sharing best practice stories, identifying where to improve, and the exchange of ideas for new pathways to consider.

The Forum this year comes at a critical reflection moment and opportunity for us all. So come and be open to our ‘water stewardship immersion’. Join us as we reflect, listen and journey together – with old and new friends. There is space for all of us!

An aerial image of Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Textile suppliers in Dhaka commit to water stewardship, backed by Primark

Sixteen textile and apparel suppliers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have signed and publicly disclosed their commitment to water stewardship. The suppliers publicly disclosed their commitment through official websites, factory noticeboards, and social media platforms.

All 16 sites have committed to water stewardship by implementing the AWS Standard, marking a significant milestone for the AWS Collective Action Accelerator – a programme designed to accelerate water stewardship by uniting sites within the same catchment to work collectively.

AWS recognises Primark for supporting 15 participating sites and thanks Zaber and Zubair Fabrics Ltd. for independently advancing their water stewardship efforts through participation in the programme.

Participating sites:

  • Echotex Ltd.
  • Bengal Hurricane Dyeing and Printing (Pvt) Ltd.
  • International Classic Composite Ltd.
  • Labib Dyeing Mills Ltd.
  • Windy Laundry Ltd.
  • Far East Knitting Dyeing Industries Ltd.
  • Tarasima Apparels Ltd.
  • NRG Composite Yarn Dyeing
  • Ibrahim Knit Garments Pvt Ltd.
  • Fakir Apparels Ltd.
  • Fakir Knitwears Ltd.
  • Modele De Capital Ind Ltd.
  • NRG Knit Composite
  • S.B Style Composite Ltd.
  • Comfit Composite Knit Ltd.
  • Zaber and Zubair Fabrics Ltd. 

Primark became an AWS Funding Member in 2022, reaffirming the company’s leadership and commitment to water stewardship. Since joining the inaugural AWS Collective Action Accelerator in Bangladesh, Primark has participated in additional programmes in China and India, supporting a total of 20 factories in priority river basins.

A woman speaking at a knowledge sharing workshop as part of the Collective Action Accelerator in Dhaka Bangladesh

A workshop held as part of the AWS Collective Action Accelerator in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  

“The AWS Collective Action Accelerator in Dhaka is one of our flagship water stewardship projects involving 16 strategic suppliers in Bangladesh. Whilst we also engage with these suppliers on various resource efficiency projects, the accelerator programme has been instrumental in driving elevated site-level performance, as well as in shifting our suppliers’ mindset towards viewing water (and associated challenges) as a shared resource that can only be effectively tackled when working collectively. This means looking beyond their own fence lines, understanding and influencing what industry neighbours are doing, and even collaborating and sharing best practices with other textile suppliers.”

- Lewys Isaac, Water Stewardship Manager, Primark
Lewys Isaac

“We are proud to share this significant milestone in the inaugural AWS Collective Action Accelerator in Dhaka, Bangladesh. By presenting a united front, the participating textile and apparel suppliers have gained more attention and support from local stakeholders. We would like to recognise Primark for its role in supporting the project. Primark has created a space for its suppliers to act together, aligning commercial goals with sustainability ambitions.”

- Shahid Kamal, Bangladesh Coordinator, AWS
Shahid Kamal

AWS is scoping for a second round of sites to participate in an AWS Collective Action Accelerator in this location. Please contact us for more information.

River in the Tohoku Region of Japan. Credit: Kanenori/Pixabay
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WWF joins Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group as an advisor

The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) is pleased to announce WWF Japan as an advisor to the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group. WWF Japan supports AWS Members MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc., Kurita Water Industries Ltd. and Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd., and AWS Funding Members Apple, Suntory Holdings Limited and Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, in advancing credible water stewardship in Japan.

In cooperation with the AWS Secretariat, the group is committed to promoting responsible water resource management in Japan. The group also aims to foster a cross-sectoral environment in which organisations can work together to protect and preserve water resources. By spearheading coordinated responses to water-related risks – both in Japan and internationally – the group will drive collective corporate action at the catchment level.

Key initiatives will include:

  • Developing a dedicated Japan programme that offers training and capacity-building opportunities.
  • Facilitating corporate networking and collaboration within priority basins.
  • Strengthening cooperation with governmental agencies to enhance the effectiveness of water stewardship efforts.

“WWF Japan welcomes the launch of the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group and its activities. We believe that collective action by multiple stakeholders – including competitors and organisations across different sectors – will help make water stewardship a mainstream practice by Japanese companies. We look forward to seeing the group foster meaningful collaboration to drive responsible and sustainable water use through water stewardship.”

– Shunsuke Kobayashi, Freshwater Lead, WWF Japan

The group welcomes participation from public, private and civil society sectors committed to advancing water stewardship in their organisations and beyond. Participants must first become AWS Members. For more information, visit a4ws.org/japan

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