Speaking the same language to bridge the freshwater divide

Communication emerged as a core issue for connecting academic research and corporate decision-making when setting freshwater targets and designing action to reach them.

Building from Environmental Initiative’s work to identify corporate barriers, motivations, and readiness for freshwater target setting, our team collaborated with DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute of Metropolitan Development to convene a cross-sector conversation with panelists representing academia, non-profit, and business. The rich conversation offered many highlights we have combined into three primary takeaways.

Takeaway: Communication and collaboration gaps exist between sectors.

A recurring theme in the discussion was the disconnect in language, priorities, tools, and timelines between academia, NGOs, and corporations. These communication barriers hinder effective collaboration on freshwater initiatives. Multiple speakers emphasized the need for a shared language, dedicated liaisons, and more “real talk” to bridge these divides.

The panelists dove into the reality that many corporations lack clear pathways to engage with local watershed groups, and researchers often do not tailor findings in ways that can inform business strategy. Collective, shared, and co-developed goals between academia, NGOs, and corporations were identified as key to successful partnerships, but challenging to execute effectively. Trust, shared language, and designated points of contact were identified as critical inputs.

Takeaway: Institutional structures and accountability drive action on freshwater.

Interim benchmarks, long-term goals, and meaningful C-suite engagement are essential for launching and sustaining corporate freshwater-related efforts. While still emergent, there’s a growing trend of tying executive compensation to sustainability metrics to drive corporate accountability on sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Beyond corporate accountability, the discussion spotlighted existing models like America’s Watershed Initiative’s Mississippi River Watershed Report Card with a focus on translating science into actionable metrics and stakeholder accountability. Government also plays a role in articulating local water needs and increasing stakeholder involvement.

Takeaway: Place-based freshwater targets are complex and important.

Corporations are increasingly setting global freshwater targets, but very few focus on place-based goals within critical watersheds like the Mississippi River Basin. Most corporations focus on operational water use efficiency, while fewer set replenishment or pollution-reduction goals tied to specific regions. When looking to set targets, corporations often focus on high-risk, water-scarce watersheds. For this reason, the Mississippi River Basin, although critical, is often overlooked due to limited data, misaligned corporate priorities, and a lack of shared tools. There’s a significant gap in translating global priorities into local action, largely due to mismatched timelines, data granularity issues, and lack of a shared framework.

Tools exist for setting targets, but many aren’t scalable or sufficiently user-friendly. Participants emphasized the urgency of coordinated efforts, citing opportunities that grow from on-the-ground partnerships with NGOs and the CEO Water Mandate’s Water Resilience Coalition. The webinar included a call to elevate relationship-building and “uncomfortable conversations” as essential tools in bridging the science-to-strategy gap for corporate freshwater action.

In case you missed it

Our panelists’ insights paint a picture of challenges and opportunities to achieving meaningful water stewardship in one of America’s most critical ecosystems. The full webinar was recorded and is available for you to watch and share. Plan on 75 minutes to listen to the full conversation and follow our panelists and their organizations for more insights on this important topic.

• Alex Novarro, Trellis Group
• Jason Knouft, National Great Rivers Research & Education Center
• Jaycie Thomsen, Environmental Initiative
• Joe Schwieterman, DePaul University
• Kim Lutz, America’s Watershed Initiative

The “Stakeholder Engagement for Freshwater Target Setting in the Mississippi River Basin” initiative, led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), and Environmental Initiative, addresses implementation barriers for corporate freshwater stewardship within a critical ecosystem.