According to the second edition of the Ecolab Global Watermark™ study, people have stopped buying products that use excessive amounts of water in the face of the global water crisis.

In France, where the government's water plan has been underway for 18 months and drought decrees and water restrictions have multiplied this summer, the data collected highlights several peculiarities, compared to the other European countries observed:

• The French are the most concerned about the issue of drinking water (82% in France versus 72% on average in Europe). They are also more concerned about access to water (77% in France versus 63% on average in Europe).
• Companies have failed to convince Europeans that adequate measures are being taken to reduce water consumption. France is the country where confidence in these leaders is highest, but less than half of French people believe they are having a real impact.
• When it comes to what needs to be done to speed up the water transition, all the citizens surveyed in Europe agreed that fines on companies and/or individuals who contaminate public water networks should be higher, and that more should be invested in more efficient public facilities, such as water recycling and wastewater treatment.
  
  

Thierry Troudet, Managing Director of Ecolab France, comments: “Faced with the current threat of water shortages, we are seeing many initiatives in France aimed at proactively managing the risks. The Ecolab Watermark survey clearly shows that consumers expect public authorities and manufacturers to act in this direction. This is why we will continue to work closely with our customers to better manage this precious natural resource.” 

For full global and country results, please visit the interactive dashboard at watermark.ecolab.com.