ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ecolab Inc. and CDP have announced a strategic partnership to launch the Water Use Efficiency Index, a new benchmarking tool designed to help companies measure, compare, and improve operational water performance across industries.
Unveiled at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, the index provides sector-specific ranges that define best-in-class water use efficiency and optimized performance targets. The goal is to give business leaders clearer insight into how efficiently water is being used in their operations and how performance can be improved. The initiative will begin with a pilot focused on the beverage and brew segment of the food, beverage, and agriculture industry, one of the most water-intensive sectors worldwide.
Water use efficiency is considered one of the most immediate and controllable levers for companies operating in water-stressed regions. Improvements can reduce costs, strengthen operational resilience, and ease pressure on shared water resources. Global freshwater demand is projected to exceed supply by 56% by 2030, and an estimated 60% of global GDP depends on reliable access to water. These challenges are particularly pronounced in water-intensive industries such as food, beverage, and agriculture, which account for roughly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals.
At the same time, rising demand from digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence is expected to intensify water stress. By 2030, AI-driven growth could require as much water as the annual drinking water needs of the United States, while associated power demand is projected to match India’s annual electricity use. Because water plays a central role in power generation and industrial processes, companies have opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle water to protect this critical resource.
The Water Use Efficiency Index is designed to provide a data-driven view of what best-in-class operational water use looks like within specific industries. With this information, companies can benchmark their performance against peers, identify efficiency gaps, and develop roadmaps to scale circular water management practices across their operations.
Improving water circularity is increasingly important as population growth and expanding manufacturing and digital infrastructure drive higher demand. By improving efficiency and scaling reuse, companies can reduce their freshwater footprint while strengthening operational resilience and watershed health. Improved water performance can also lower total operating costs, as a significant share of manufacturing energy use is tied to moving, heating, and treating water, while also improving product quality through more consistent processes.
“Water is the foundation of life and business. Every breakthrough depends on water, and the private sector has an incredible opportunity to reimagine how we manage this vital resource,” said Christophe Beck, Chairman and CEO of Ecolab. “Our partnership with CDP aims to be the catalyst for industrial water use transformation. By championing best-in-class operational water performance, companies can embark toward a future of meaningful growth and positive impact.”
“Water is a critical economic input. It is integral to growth and success across industries including AI, semiconductors, and manufacturing,” said Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP. “As water stress intensifies, companies that understand, manage and improve their water use will be better positioned to protect margins, secure supply chains and attract capital.”
The index is built using CDP’s database of more than 10,000 annual corporate water disclosures, Ecolab’s operational insights from millions of customer locations across 40 industries and 170 countries, and data from leading trade organizations. Together, these inputs define best-in-class benchmarks and highlight industry-leading enterprise-level water use efficiency among reporting companies.
For the beverage and brew segment, the index identifies best-in-class performance ranges. In carbonated soft drinks, best-in-class water use at the location level ranges from 1.2 to 1.4 liters of water per liter of product, while best-in-class enterprise performance ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 liters per liter. In brewing, best-in-class performance ranges from 1.4 to 2.0 hectoliters of water per hectoliter of product at the location level and from 2.0 to 3.0 hectoliters per hectoliter at the enterprise level.
“By combining CDP’s leading disclosure data with Ecolab’s industry water use expertise, we are giving companies a clear view of where they stand operationally compared to industry norms and best-in-class performance,” said Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab. “Together with CDP, we are helping companies turn disclosure into action to drive performance, improve efficiency and lower costs.”
