COMPARA I E
O ER IE
Overview of objectives of selected tools and reporting standards
The table below provides a quick overview of the key objectives of the tools and reporting standards
analyzed in this document. A total of nine tools/ reporting standards are analyzed, namely: (1) Science
Based Targets; (2) Ceres Aqua Gauge; (3) Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) Water
Sustainability Tool; (4) Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP); (5) Climate Disclosure Standards Board
(CBSB); (6) Integrated Reporting <IR>; (7) Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 303; (8) Sustainability
Accounting Standards Board (SASB); and (9) Alliance for Water stewardship (AWS).
Further information on (1) Organization managing the tool/ standard; (2) Audience; (3) Objective; (4)
Benefits; (5) Further Description and (6) Process is provided below. The final page offers the relevant
links and documents to easily access the tools/ reporting standards.
Global Reporting Initiative
Integrated Reporting <IR>
Carbon Disclosure Project
Water Sustainability Tool
Sustainability Accounting
Standards Board (SASB)
Standards Board (CBSB)
Management Initiative
Science Based Targets
Global Environmental
stewardship (AWS)
Ceres Aqua Gauge
Climate Disclosure
Alliance for Water
(GRI) 303
(GEMI)
(CDP)
Company Level Risks & Strategies
Company level Disclosures
Site-Level Certification
1
Tool Organisation Audience Objective Benefits of using Tool Further Description Process
Ceres Aqua CERES Companies, Company For companies: Assessment across 4 key Score the
Gauge Financial Risk Comprehensive areas: performance of
Institutions Assessment assessment tool for * Measurement each company
(Investors) &Strategy evaluating an existing * Management based on the
water strategy or building * Engagement guidance provided
one from the ground up * Disclosure across the 4 key
assessment areas.
For investors: Provides a At the end the tool
benchmark for assessing Scoring: will provide an
corporate water * No Action: No evidence that overview of all
management and enabling the company has taken action scores which
them to evaluate, in this area. companies can use
scorecard and compare * Initial Steps: Action has been to benchmark their
companies based on their taken but the company is only progress, improve
publicly available beginning to implement the it; and investors can
information. practice. easily compare
* Advanced Progress: Action companies.
has been taken and good
progress toward leading
practice has been made, but
gaps still exist in the
company’s approach.
* Leading Practice: Action is
consistent with what leading
companies are doing, and are
aspiring to do, in this area.
2
Science Based Science Based Company Help businesses to set “Science based targets for Follow the 5 step
Targets Target Network Risk ambitious science- based water process.
(SBTN) Assessment targets for climate and are user-specific (i.e.,
&Strategy nature to: companies and cities)
* Get ahead of regulation performance targets that are in
and policy changes line with what the current
* Strengthen reputation hydrological and social
among consumers, sciences says is necessary to
employees, and society meet or exceed sustainable
* Increase the confidence freshwater quantity and quality
of investors, parent thresholds of the catchments in
companies, subsidiaries, which the user operates, buys
and other stakeholders from, or sells.”
* Catalyze innovation
that’s good for the planet, 5 Step Process to set Science
and for business based Targets:
* Open opportunities to (1) Assess
collaborate with other (2) Interpret & Prioritise
stakeholders (3) Measure, Set and Disclose
* Improve your medium- (4) Act
to-long-term profitability (5) Track
3
Water Global Companies Company Help individual The five toobox consists of 5 For each company,
Sustainability Environmental Risk companies better core analytical stages/modules: go complete the 5
Tool Management Assessment understand what emerging Module 1: Water Use, Impact, core modules
Initiative (GEMI) &Strategy water issues might mean and Source Assessment
for them, given their Module 2: Business Risk
operations, needs, and Assessment
circumstances and build a Module 3: Business
business water strategy. Opportunity Assessment
Module 4: Strategic Direction
(1) Conduct a systematic and Goal Setting
assessment of their Module 5: Strategy
relationship to water Development and
(2) Identify specific Implementation
opportunities and risks
associated with this Each of the five analytical
relationship modules includes specific steps
(3) Assess the business that can help answer the key
case for action questions associated with each
module. It considers the full
value chain (Inputs/ Raw
Materials. Production Process,
Distribution, Usage,
Disposition)
4
Carbon Carbon Disclosure Companies, Benefits of disclosing Companies
Disclosure Project Investors, Cities information: complete the
Project (CDP) & Regional * Gain competitive questionnaire
Governments advantage following the
* Get ahead of regulatory guidance document
and policy changes, and submit it to
* Identify and tackle CDP
growing risks,
* Find new opportunities
for action that investors
and customers worldwide
are demanding.
5
CDSB Climate Companies, Company * Help Follow the
Framework Disclosure Financial Level companies translate their guidelines to report
Standards Board Analysts, Disclosure sustainability information on 12 key areas:
(CDSB) Investors, into long-term value; * Governance
Regulators * Provide clear, concise * Management of
and consistent Environmental
information to investors, Policies
connecting the * Risks and
organisation's Opportunities
environmental * Sources of
performance to its overall Environmental
strategy, performance and Impacts
prospects; * Performance and
* Enable and encourage Comparative
informed investor- Analysis
decision making on the * Outlook
allocation of financial * Organisational
capital; and Boundary
* Add value to an * Reporting
organisation's existing policies
mainstream report, while * Reporting period
minimising the reporting * Restatements
burden and simplifying * Conformance
the reporting process. * Assurance
6
Integrated Value Reporting Companies Company Integrate Reporting to: The integrated report is a Catalogue of
Reporting <IR> Foundation Level * Improve the quality of concise communication about questions which
Disclosure information available to how an organization’s strategy, need to be
providers of financial governance, performance and answered to
capital to enable a more prospects, in the context of its populate 8 Content
efficient and productive external environment, lead to Elements:
allocation of capital the creation of value in the * Organizational
* Promote a more short, medium and long term. Overview and
cohesive and efficient External
approach to corporate The <IR> Framework does not Environment
reporting that draws on prescribe specific key * Governance
different reporting strands performance indicators, * Business Model
and communicates the full measurement methods or the * Risks and
range of factors that disclosure of individual matters Opportunities
materially affect the * Strategy and
ability of an organization Resource
to create value over time Allocation
* Enhance accountability * Performance
and stewardship for the Outlook
broad base of capitals * Basis of
(financial, manufactured, Preparation and
intellectual, human, social Presentation
and relationship, and
natural) and promote
understanding of their
independencies
* Support integrated
thinking, decision-making
and actions that focus on
the creation of value over
the short, medium and
long term.
7
Global Global Companies Company Companies use standard GRI 303 consists of the Follow the
Reporting Sustainability Level to: following: disclosure
Initiative (GRI) Standards Board Disclosure * Prepare a sustainability Management approach documents to create
303 (GSSB) report in accordance with disclosures the Sustainability
the standards * Disclosure 303-1 Interactions Report.
* Report specific with water as a shared resource
information, without * Disclosure 303-2 To identify river
preparing a report in Management of water basins where
accordance with the discharge-related impacts company
standards operations may
Topic-specific disclosures cause water-related
* Disclosure 303-3 Water impacts, global
withdrawal river basin data
* Disclosure 303-4 Water sets, such as WWF
discharge Risk Filter,can be
* Disclosure 303-5 Water used
consumption
Sustainability Value Reporting Companies Company Support companies Identifies subset of Use SASB’s
Accounting Foundation Level disclose financially- environmental, social, and Materiality
Standards Board Disclosure material sustainability governance issues most Map® to identify
(SASB) information to investors relevant to financial sustainability issues
performance in each of the 77 that are likely to
covered industries. Standard- affect the financial
setting process includes condition or
evidence-based research, broad operating
and balanced participation from performance of
companies, investors, and companies within
subject matter experts, and an industry for 26
oversight and approval from an sustainability-
independent Standards Board. related business
issues, incl. water
and wastewater
management across
11 sectors groups.
In case of
materiality, apply
8
standard to assess
water-related risks
specifically for 77
industries.
AWS Standard Alliance for Water Companies Site-Level Understand water The AWS Standard can be Site level
Stewardship Certification dependencies and impacts implemented by any site, in any assessment by
(AWS) • Mitigate operational and sector, in any catchment around certified AWS
supply chain water risks the world. consultant.
• Ensure responsible
water procedures are in All core criteria
place must be met as a
• Build relationships with minimum
local water-related requirement for
stakeholders certification
• Address challenges
shared with others in the
catchment
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How to access the tools and reporting standards
Tool Link
Ceres Aqua Gauge Assessment Tool: [Link]
gauge-comprehensive-assessment-tool-evaluating-corporate-management
Science Based Targets
Water Sustainability Tool GEMI Toolbox and Case Studies:
[Link]
Carbon Disclosure Project CDP Water Questionnaire:
(CDP) [Link]
e=ThemeID&incchild=1µsite=0&otype=Questionnaire&page=1&tgpro
mpt=TG-124%2CTG-127%2CTG-125
2020 Company Responses: [Link]
CDSB Framework [Link]
Integrated Reporting <IR> [Link]
content/uploads/2021/01/[Link]
Global Reporting Initiative [Link]
(GRI) 303 [Link]
Sustainability Accounting Standard: [Link]
Standards Board (SASB)
Materiality Map:
[Link]
AWS Standard [Link]
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© Jennifer Moeller-Gulland 2021
This document is part of the Water Risk Navigator Training:
[Link]
Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
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