Creative agency Leo Burnett has joined hands with AqVerium, a digital water bank by AquaKraft Group Ventures, to create a ‘Water Sustainability Score’.
The score is billed as the world’s first water report card for brands. It reveals how water is sourced, used, wasted or recycled in the process of creating a product, on a scale of 1 to 100.
The intent is to help brands with end-to-end solutions that help them become more water positive and improve their score, which is re-evaluated annually.
Adopting the Water Sustainability Score acts as a commitment from organisations to bring transparency and accountability to their efficient use of water, said an official statement.
It can be on the product packaging, offering a reason for consumers to choose the brand for its sustainability and water positivity.
Rajdeepak Das, CEO & CCO Leo Burnett South Asia, and Chairman, Creative Council – Publicis Groupe India, said, “At Burnett, we believe that creativity’s true power is in solving real problems of the world. The water crisis is already upon us and adopting the Water Sustainability Score – a first-of-its-kind report card on how water positive a brand really is can bring transparency and accountability in the indiscriminate use of water. This is not just an initiative but a true Humankind idea which has the potential to impact a billion by helping save one of the most important resources for the earth – ‘water’ and take us forward to a water-positive future.”
Dr Subramanya Kusnur, Chairman & CEO, AquaKraft Group Ventures, said, “The water crisis is real and needs immediate action. A lot has been spoken about climate with water clearly missing the narrative. We are thrilled to have partnered with Leo Burnett – an agency that is known for its impactful work on sustainability to not only amplify this message but take timely action towards this crisis. We already have mapped out water-positive practices and getting brands to pledge towards the ‘Water Sustainability Score’ can be a game changer in water preservation. To this effect, we have onboarded Bangalore International Airport Limited on AqVerium and verified and validated the Water Audit report provided to us. We are happy to present the first “Water Sustainability Score”, recognising and incentivising the water positivity of organisations, along with their commitment to sustainability.”
The first brand to partner with Leo Burnett and AqVerium on this venture is the Bangalore International Airport Limited.
The Water Sustainability Score was unveiled at the launch of ‘Aquafluence – A Centre of Influence for Water Sustainability’ on July 25, 2023. The joint initiative of the Institute of Chemical Technology (formerly UDCT) and AquaKraft was launched by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Jal Shakti, Government of India.
In his keynote address, the Minister said, “It is very heartening to see Bangalore International Airport Limited’s water sustainability program have voluntarily onboarded themselves on AquaKraft’s AqVerium which shows commitment towards corporate water stewardship. The Water Sustainability Score is an innovative way of branding sustainability and will build healthy competition amongst corporates in water stewardship.”
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