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.”
"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.”
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Photos from the event
