In celebration of World Water Day, Keurig Dr Pepper announces its aspiration to achieve net positive water impact by 2050 and has joined the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC). This industry-driven coalition of the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate aims to elevate global water stress and its connection to climate change to the top of the corporate agenda and preserve the world’s freshwater resources through collective action and ambitious, quantifiable commitments.
According to the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, a 56% shortfall in freshwater supply is expected over the next decade, threatening not only ecosystems, but also communities, businesses and the global economy. As a leader in the beverage industry where water is essential to its products and operations, KDP says it is proud to join like-minded and action-oriented companies from across the globe to address the world water crisis.
“As a beverage company dependent on water at all levels of our value chain, we have a unique opportunity to develop and support leading solutions to local and global water challenges. We are excited to join the WRC and, through collective action, scale the work we have underway to build healthy communities resilient to climate change,” says Bob Gamgort, chairman and CEO of Keurig Dr Pepper.
The beverage manufacturer’s established water stewardship approach accounts for water use across its value chain by focusing on replenishment to address the quality of and access to water in its highest water risk areas. The company’s latest aspiration for net positive water impact by 2050 builds on existing commitments, which include:
- Replenish 100% of water used for its beverages in the Company's highest water-risk operating communities by 2030, an extended timeline to reflect the addition of new communities in 2022;
- Improve water use efficiency in its operations by 20% by 2025; and
- Support regenerative agriculture and conservation on 250,000 acres of land by 2030, representing 50% of the land used to grow KDP's top climate-sensitive crops.
To ensure long-term impact, KDP collaborates with partners to address shared water challenges locally, improving water quality and quantity where it has been compromised. Beyond the WRC, KDP member coalitions include the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER), California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC) and the Texas Water Action Collaborative (TWAC).
The company will be publishing its 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report on its website in summer 2022.