The vulnerability of companies in terms of access to water is increasing. Is it a climate-related issue?

It is obvious that water stress is intensifying. However, the real awareness of companies is mainly due to the regulatory consequences of these droughts. For the past two years, decrees limiting access to water have been promulgated directly by the prefects: water has thus become a critical resource, the lack of which can undermine the production of industrialists. If we add to this already restrictive context the 53 measures of the Water Plan, deployed by the government since March 2023, companies are definitely encouraged to implement more virtuous practices by 2030.

Which companies are most exposed to the risk of water supply disruptions?

At Ecolab, we believe that water is a finite, local, shared resource. There is therefore a geographical component, as some regions are more exposed to drought. The activity is also to be taken into consideration: the agri-food, pharmaceutical, chemical industries, are thus very water-consuming. Finally, the size of the company has an impact and contrary to what one might think, SMEs are not immune to these problems. In our opinion, the most important thing is the type of use made of the water by the company. For some, it is an essential raw material in their manufacturing processes – like dairy products for example. For others, it is a useful component in the operation of factories, for example in heating processes. When water is a raw material, the company is more sensitive to the risk of shortage, but is not always aware of it.

What levers of action exist then?

We can act on three levers, the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. But not all of them have the same scope. Reduction is the easiest and fastest means of action to implement, and also the least costly. Often, an audit makes it possible to detect leaks and then repair them, especially in the ageing European building and industrial stock. The reuse of water for less noble tasks is also a system that can be set up without too much cost, without too much energy expenditure either, which is an important factor. On the other hand, recycling is more complex and mainly concerns large groups. It goes to the heart of their production processes and the implementation times are longer here, because the projects are more transformative.

Are French companies ready to adapt to the scarcity of water resources?

We are questioned a lot, which shows a real interest or concern on these subjects. Europe is undoubtedly moving towards the creation of a label around water and regulatory obligations are constantly being strengthened. Nevertheless, France is lagging far behind in transposing European directives and political uncertainty poses a real threat to the preparedness of companies for these risks. And this at a time when other regions of the world are accelerating on these issues and succeeding in creating new models, such as the pooling of facilities observed in South Korea. The involvement of private and public actors is therefore necessary to continue the adaptation of French societies to these crucial challenges.