Caring for water is at the heart of sustainable development, as outlined in goal 6 of the 17 goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. In line with this, ACO, a world-leading water-tech company, is launching its new ‘Water Positive’ initiative to lead the construction industry by example.
Under the initiative, ACO is urging all stakeholders involved in creating sites and infrastructure to change how they think when approaching new projects. Instead of removing water as soon as possible, the drainage and water management specialist states that careful thought must be given to design and technology to enable the appropriate collection, cleaning, holding and reuse of water.
To help stakeholders identify a ‘good’ project, ACO has broken down the ‘Water Positive’ initiative into a positive technology, design, and environment framework. Existing and new projects will be assigned ‘badges’ if they have met specific sustainable development criteria, such as when a project has incorporated technology that supports natural habitats and ecosystems.
On how this will help protect and enhance natural environments, Adam Cane, Sustainability Lead, said: “Only when water is properly cared for can it be considered a renewable resource that facilitates life. As the UN has highlighted, the world’s water-related ecosystems are being degraded at alarming rates – one example statistic being 85% of the planet’s wetlands having been lost over the past 300 years. Water simply is not looked after in the way it needs to be.
“At ACO, we care for water and want others to, too. That’s why we’ve launched ‘Water Positive’. This will assist in delivering sustainable water management for the built environment. Rather than focusing solely on removing water to prevent flooding, this innovative new approach will help the industry think about how to design sites to treat and manage water better and utilise technology in a positive way to achieve better outcomes for our natural world.”
