Sustainability understanding and strategies in selective German water companies

Water is one of the most essential resources of our time. At the same time, sustainable water policy and management is a priority area in the German national sustainability strategy. Since German water supply is characterized... [ view full abstract ]

Water is one of the most essential resources of our time. At the same time, sustainable water policy and management is a priority area in the German national sustainability strategy. Since German water supply is characterized by diversity in supply, organization and size, it is of interest how water companies define sustainability activities and integrate sustainability within their strategies. Arnold (2015) stresses: although based on rather stable and far-reaching governmental regulations the water industry needs a change towards sustainability and forward-looking strategic planning. Holistic or integrative sustainability management tools and approaches are underrepresented. There is an imbalance in the application of tools regarding managing tasks and sustainability principles: The implemented tools are mainly focused on general management and participation as well as targeting in particular. There is almost no implementation of the polluter pays', integration, sufficiency & substitution, resilience principle. Based on this investigation it is of interest how the companies describe their sustainability understanding and strategies. During 2015 more than 500 water companies were asked for their sustainability engagement by email. 65 water companies took part in the survey. Three main categories were used: (1) sustainability management, (2) resource water, and (3) characteristics of the company.

Only some results are highlighted here: Taking strategic decisions, the preservation of the water quality shows the highest relevance for the organizations (65 %) followed by consumption volumes, new water management laws and existing infrastructure (40%). Consumption patterns and lifestyles are not relevant for decision-making in the sample. Sustainability seems to have a high relevance for the respective companies (82 %), and only 12 percent of the companies state they do not have any sustainability tool implemented. Sustainability water management is mainly securing the water resource as well as the long-term preservation of its quality while respecting given environmental management systems and regulations as well as the ability to regenerate of the water resource. Moreover, addressing transfigurations by media and society, the company representatives state the following attributions as inappropriate for the water resource: tape water has an inferior quality, the price is inflated, water saving is ecologically meaningful and water is an inexhaustible, naturally pure resource.