E - Environmental (Carbon, Energy, Resources, Climate) 5 min read

What is Water Intensity? Definition and Context

Credibility Check & Framework Comparison

To ensure absolute regulatory accuracy and reliability, we verify definitions across leading international frameworks before presenting our synthesized SME context.

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EFRAG / ESRS E3

"A metric calculating water consumption or withdrawal per unit of net revenue or physical production output."
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GRI

"Standard disclosures regarding water withdrawal, consumption, and discharge relative to operational metrics."
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EcoVadis

"Scorecard indicator assessing water conservation measures, recycle rates, and total water usage relative to production volume."

ExecutESG Consolidated Definition

Water Intensity

Water intensity is an environmental performance metric that measures the volume of water consumed, withdrawn, or discharged relative to a specific economic or physical output.

$$\text{Water Intensity} = \frac{\text{Total Water Consumption (cubic metres)}}{\text{Revenue / FTE / Units Produced}}$$

Purpose:

  • Measures water efficiency in operations.
  • Identifies water stress risks in manufacturing or agricultural supply chains.

SME Relevance & B2B Inbound Action:

For manufacturing and logistics SMEs, tracking water consumption is key to securing high scores in the EcoVadis Environment pillar. Log your water usage and generate intensity metrics automatically inside the ExecutESG platform.

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