While climate change may be the single biggest environmental challenge of the coming decades, its effects on business will mostly manifest themselves via water: circumstances of too little, too much or inadequate timing and quality of supply will expose businesses to considerable financial stress. And yet, despite its material importance, water has, until now, only scarcely appeared on the radars of financial institutions. Launched on 25th October 2007 at UNEP FI’s Global Roundtable in Melbourne, this first-of-its-kind publication goes beyond description and provides lenders and investors with fundamental and practical guidance on how to identify, assess, quantify and integrate water-related risks into existing due-diligence procedures: across geographies and industries; and both within the water/sanitation sector and with respect to businesses “downstream”. However, it is recognized that water cannot only be a destroyer but also a creator of value. There are more opportunities around water than the mere benefits of enhanced risk management. Within this report, these are systematically pointed at and categorized.
Published: 2007 | by: unepfi

Half full or half empty? (2.0 MB | 84 pages)