Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water & Sanitation & Hygiene May -June 2017 | Page 10

NEWS in brief Hilton Endorses the CEO Water Mandate CEO Water Mandate UN Global Compact The CEO Water Mandate Secretariat is delighted to welcome Hilton as its newest endorsing company! Hilton joins over 140 companies from around the world and across a variety of industry sectors that have committed to advancing water stewardship. Founded in 1919, Hilton is one of the largest and fastest growing hospitality companies in the world, with more than 4,900 properties and 800,000 rooms in 104 countries and territories. Hilton joined the UN Global Compact in 2012 and announced their 2025 Water commitments on World Water Day, March 22, 2017. As they join global business leaders in advancing water stewardship across the globe, they are taking their water stewardship to the next level by looking across the entire value chain that supports the hotel ecosystem, from business partnerships, to the communities in which they operate and the watersheds in which they are based. Through their collaboration with WWF, they are evaluating their entire value chain to identify areas exposed to high water risk, as well as the communities that are increasingly exposed to water stress. They will be working with partner businesses, vendors and suppliers, to take steps to reduce water usage and enhance and protect clean water resources in the areas surrounding their hotels. Hilton is committed to sharing best practices across the industry. To track, monitor and evaluate performance, they have implemented LightStay, an innovative measurement platform that is a brand standard for more than 4,900 Hilton hotels. Through LightStay they are able to understand how hotels are managing and improving water use over time. This in turn will allow them to develop and enhance their system, through incorporation of more detailed water risk information, to drive greater water awareness and ensure hotels have the information they need to make thoughtful decisions in daily operations. Global Highlights Report on Implementation Roadmaps, exactly two years since the 7th World Water Forum took place in April 2015. The report will provide valuable input for discussions to be held during the 8th World Water Forum’s Second Stakeholder Meeting where hundreds of participants are expected to gather from 26-27 April 2017 to help shape the next Forum’s program. All 16 Implementation Roadmaps have been integrated into the Forum’s Thematic Process Framework. “A majority of Implementation Roadmaps have made significant headway”, says Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council. Of the 98 objectives currently registered in the Action Monitoring System, more than 74% of them have progressed. This represents a total of 334 actions of which 86% are either ongoing or completed. “Such achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of DGIC Champions and the strong involvement of Core Groups members”. President Braga added that over 90 internationally renowned organizations are coordinating their efforts to ensure the implementation of 16 Roadmaps, which embrace social, economic and environmental aspects of water. Designed as bridges to ensure continuity from one Forum to the next, Implementation Roadmaps are an innovative mechanism to monitor progress on some of the most visible solutions identified at the 7th World Water Forum. The information is provided by the Champions, made available on the Action Monitoring System (AMS) website and then extracted into the progress reports. As progress is well under way, this third report also displays new features highlighting concrete achievements for each Implementation Roadmap, such as printed reports, initiatives, publications and case studies to better reflect the extent of the work achieved so far. Collective action is essential for effective, strong outcomes that individual organizations are unable to deliver. This action-oriented collective effort has sustained progress on vital water-related issues. The Implementation Roadmaps also seek to provide substantive contribution to global processes such as the implementation of water-related Sustainable Development Goals and ensure that water remain high on the political agenda. Trump signs executive orders on waters rule, black colleges Hilton’s progress on key water metrics (image provided by Hilton) Implementation Roadmaps: third report released Marseille, 12 April 2017 - The World Water Council, in collaboration with Korea Water Forum and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea have just released the third edition of the Progress 10 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2017 Marseille, 12 April 2017 - The World Water Council, in collabor