Isle and WSAP partnership enables decision makers to deliver water efficiency, cost savings, and achieve environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets.

Following new legislation in Australia to report climate-related financial disclosures from January 2025, a new cross-sector collaboration is tackling an often-overlooked climate risk: water. Isle Utilities is now a delivery partner for a roadmap and diagnostic tool developed by Water Stewardship Asia-Pacific (WSAP) based on the International Water Stewardship Standards from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). The Water RoadMap diagnostic tool provides a strategic analysis, scorecard, and performance improvement plan of your organisation’s water and wastewater management practices.

Reducing industrial, commercial and agricultural water use eases the demand on utilities, creating a win-win scenario. Though these customers make up less than 10% of a typical water utility’s customer base, they can consume more than 25% of the total water supply. Under drought conditions, utilities are often required to rapidly reduce their consumption – and pricing is one of the levers to achieve this. The resulting cost increases can hit big water users with significant additional expense.

“We’re seeing a convergence of environmental necessity and financial risk”, says Dr Alex Cech, Head of Change & Implementation at Isle. “Water is the new carbon, and drought planning, energy savings and now ESG regulation are pointing to the same need: transformational water strategy. There is an urgent need to help industrial water users evaluate and re-engineer their water processes so they are resilient to water restrictions and increased pricing under drought conditions. Our tool gives industry and utilities a shared language and a practical framework to respond.”

The diagnostic tool allows industrial end users to assess their water risks, identify opportunities for efficiency and reuse, and develop site-specific action plans. When used in collaboration with utilities, it allows both parties to anticipate constraints, plan for demand reductions and avoid reactive measures during periods of water stress.

With Australia’s climate-related financial disclosures legislation now passed, water-related risk is set to become a material issue for businesses – putting water resilience and security on the boardroom agenda, especially in sectors where water is mission-critical.

“Boards are waking up to the reality that water isn’t just an environmental issue: it’s a financial one, too”, said Dr Sandra Hall, CEO at WSAP. “Businesses without a clear strategy for water resilience and adaptation will struggle to be competitive in the long term. Helping them to understand the water-energy nexus and the opportunities to save on energy costs will help prevent disruptions later.”

Isle has a proven track record in building drought readiness through water efficiency assessments for industrial, commercial and agricultural businesses and giving trusted advice on short term conservation, through to medium term water stewardship and transformational water strategy. Isle is also adept at building trial methodologies, can provide funding support and manage the intricacies of collaborative trials through to implementation.

Are your board members, shareholders and customers asking how your business will deliver water efficiency, cost savings, and achieve environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets? Does your business understand the risk and implications of new reporting requirements as well as drought on your business? Get in touch with Dr Alex Cech, Head of Change & Implementation at Isle, to find out how to address your water requirement at alex.cech@isleutilities.com.

About Isle Utilities

Founded in 2010 by Dr Piers Clark, Isle Utilities is a global team of scientists, engineers, business and regulatory experts specializing in the development and commercialization of emerging technologies in the water and environmental sectors. We work across sectors from utilities and industry to finance and technology, helping clients identify, evaluate and adopt the best technologies and management practices to unlock their environmental transition. We understand the challenges the environment is facing and help find and create the solutions to solve them. We believe that accelerating the adoption of innovative solutions will improve communities, environment, and safeguard public health around the world.

About Water Stewardship Asia Pacific (WSAP)

WSAP is a not-for-profit membership organisation whose mission is to achieve a water-secure world for all by protecting and enhancing the natural environment through water stewardship. Its roots date back to the Australian Millennium Drought, when major water users came under intense scrutiny and communities facing severe water shortages began calling for responsible water use in industry, agriculture, commerce, and recreation.

It was during these lean and dry years that water stewardship was first conceived. Water users realised that they needed to demonstrate that their water consumption was not causing harm, and in 2007, a group of diverse stakeholders came together to workshop what was known as the water stewardship concept. Water utilities, businesses, financial institutions, and communities agreed that there was a need for responsible water use with positive triple bottom line (social/cultural, environmental, economic) outcomes. As the water stewardship concept grew into a robust framework for action and verification, so did the need for leadership in the water stewardship system. Water Stewardship Australia Ltd (trading as Water Stewardship Asia Pacific, WSAP) was incorporated in 2010 to lead water stewardship growth and uptake in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

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