Andreas Wolf, CEO of Vitesco Technologies, has become one of the first representatives of the automotive supplier industry to sign the CEO Water Mandate. Under the umbrella of the United Nations Global Compact, the initiative is supported by business leaders from around the world and aims to develop sustainable solutions to the emerging global water crisis.
As a leading international supplier of modern powertrain technologies and electric mobility solutions, Vitesco Technologies also operates sites in water-stressed areas, particularly in Mexico and the USA, and is therefore aware of its special responsibility. As part of its environmental strategy, it strives to continuously improve its sustainability, also with regard to water as a resource.
“As a member of the CEO Water Mandate, we want to regularly discuss best practice solutions and current opportunities and risks in the area of water management with other companies,” explains Andreas Wolf, CEO of Vitesco Technologies. “With our risk-based approach, we are focusing specifically on regions in the world where water is becoming increasingly scarce.”
To achieve this, Vitesco Technologies is primarily pursuing efficiency projects that focus on avoiding water waste and using the resource multiple times. For example, the site in Juarez (Mexico) plans to implement a total of 30 efficiency projects from 2021 to 2024. These range from water conservation for sanitary applications to the use of condensate and rainwater for irrigation and toilet flushing.
In Seguin (USA), there are plans to divert condensate water from air conditioning and ventilation systems to cooling towers in 2022. In addition, the company plans to reuse sludge water from cooling towers as gray water for sanitary facilities and to collect rainwater.
This will enable the company to reduce the drinking water it uses from the public water supply.
All Vitesco Technologies sites are consistently and regularly assessed against the World Resources Institute’s updated risk assessment tools. For the corresponding public reporting on water risks, consequences and activities, the CEO Water Mandate provides valuable guidance. In some cases, member companies undertake to measure and monitor operational water performance. They formulate explicit goals and strategies for water management within the company, promote efficient water use and assess risks and effects on the respective river basin and their value chain. The initiative provides an overview of all member companies at: Endorsing Companies – CEO Water Mandate
The CEO Water Mandate is an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact in partnership with the Pacific Institute, that mobilizes business leaders on water, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals for corporate water stewardship. Endorsers of the Mandate commit to continuous progress against six core elements (direct operations, supply chain and watershed management, collective action, public policy, community engagement and transparency) and in so doing understand and manage their water risks. Established in 2007 the Mandate was created out of the acknowledgement that global water challenges create risk for a wide range of industry sectors, the public sector, local communities and ecosystems alike. For more information, follow @H2O_stewards on Twitter and visit the website at ceowatermandate.org.
