en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 21st, Nestlé Waters and its premium beverage companies recently announced that all 39 of its bottling factories have obtained comprehensive certification under the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard, making it the world's first food and beverage enterprise to achieve full factory certification. This news was released on the eve of World Water Day, March 22, aiming to place water governance at the core of corporate risk management to address the pressure of climate fluctuations on freshwater systems. Two factories located in Buxton, UK, and Tunuyán, Argentina, received the highest level of certification within the AWS framework—Platinum certification. The certification scope covers operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Asia.
The AWS Standard, a globally recognized independent framework, drives corporate responsibility from operational efficiency to collective outcomes at the watershed level. Muriel Lienau, CEO of Nestlé Waters, stated, "We are delighted to share these important milestones regarding AWS certification and water regeneration. Good water management is part of our DNA, and strong water resilience is a strategic necessity for the business—that is why we seek collaboration in all our operating locations to ensure shared water challenges are addressed, both now and in the future." She added, "We remain committed to protecting, restoring, and returning water in our operating locations. Through collaboration with experts, local organizations, and communities, catchment-level cooperation is key to achieving meaningful impact."
The company reported 70 active water regeneration projects, delivering 14.1 million cubic meters of water annually. These projects are measured using the World Resources Institute's Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting method, aiming for a net positive water impact. Nestlé Waters is supporting its strategy through capital investments, such as the €25 million Agrivair Garrigue initiative in the Gard region of France, and expanding the F.O.N.T.E initiative in Italy through an additional €40 million investment by 2030. These efforts focus on sustainable agriculture, biodiversity restoration, and water source protection.
Nestlé Waters has also extended its partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to provide scientific guidance. Adrian Sym, CEO of the Alliance for Water Stewardship, said, "Nestlé Waters and its premium beverage companies' tailored, collaborative, and localized solution approach for each bottling plant is exemplary. It's fantastic to see a large global company handling this globally in a bottom-up manner, rather than taking a large-scale rebalancing approach to offset water use." For executives and investors, this milestone reflects a realignment of ESG priorities, with water risk rapidly rising on the corporate agenda and water management becoming a core pillar of business continuity.
