NEW DELHI: Global food and beverage major Pepsico on Wednesday said it looks to become 'Net Water Positive' by 2030, aiming to replenish more water than that used in company-owned and third-party manufacturing sites in high water-risk areas.
Besides, PepsiCo's 'Net Water Positive' vision also looks to deliver safe water access to 100 million people by 2030.
Its philanthropic arm, The PepsiCo Foundation, is also launching a new USD 1 million programme with NGO WaterAid to bring safe water to families in Sub-Saharan Africa - expanding its 15-year old safe water access initiative that reaches 59 million people in over 20 countries, the beverages major said in a statement.
"Water scarcity is directly linked to the climate crisis, and at PepsiCo, we believe a global effort to be 'net water positive' is essential.
We're focused not only on making sure people around the world have access to this vital resource but ensuring that we are also prioritizing water stewardship in our operations everywhere," PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew said.
Bold goals will guide action towards PepsiCo's 'Net Water Positive' ambition to reduce absolute water use and replenish back into the local watershed more than the water used at company-owned and third-party sites in high-water-risk areas, it added.
"Reduction efficiencies are to be met through the adoption of operational best-in-class or world-class water-use-efficiency standards covering more than 1,000 company-owned and third-party facilities, with nearly half located in high-risk watersheds," the company said.
Raising the efficiency standard at company-owned sites in high-risk watersheds alone will allow PepsiCo to avoid using more than 11 billion liters of water a year, which is 50 per cent reduction in the amount of water the company uses at these sites.
"PepsiCo also aims to adopt the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard in all high-water risk areas where it operates by 2025," the statement said.
The PepsiCo Foundation's new investment with WaterAid is focused on Sub-Saharan Africa and will help improve water infrastructure, build new water supply systems and equitable sanitation facilities, and promote hygiene education.
"This new programme comes at a critical time as the COVID-19 Delta variant spreads worldwide, posing a particular risk to water-stressed communities.
Many nations, like those in Sub-Saharan Africa, lack the water infrastructure or supply to prevent and treat illnesses for instance, nearly 70 per cent of homes in the region don't have places for families to wash their hands with soap and water," it added.