The climate crisis being experienced across Europe is making the need to focus on water waste critical, says Yvonne Orgill, MD, at the Unified Water Label Association, as World Water Week gets underway (20-24 August).
The world experienced its hottest day ever recorded in July, breaking the global average temperature record set in 2016, with the average global temperature topping 17°C for the first time, according to EU climate monitoring service Copernicus.
August brought violent storms across northern Italy, which prompted the president, Sergio Mattarella, to join counterparts from Spain, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia in demanding urgent action from international leaders to tackle the climate crisis. “There is no more time to waste, no more time to compromise for political or economic reasons,” they wrote.
The driest start to a year in Spain was registered in the first four months of 2023, with Catalonia and southern Spain’s Andalusia being the most affected. This led to Catalonia’s authorities imposing new water usage restrictions on 22 villages around the Darnius Boadella reservoir in northeastern Spain, as the aquifer supplying it is almost empty.
Yvonne Orgill, MD at UWLA, says, “Our water efficiency message is now absolutely critical. Industry must come together with governments to communicate the need to be water-wise and reduce waste, if we are to have any impact and reduce the hardship that will result from severe water shortages. We hope that people can now see that the dangers of warming our planet are no longer something distant, it’s here and now and affecting every region in the world.
“The industry has a smart solution in the Unified Water Label, which is being driven and supported by 70% of all major brands. More and more companies across Europe are coming on board, displaying the Unified Water Label and making it easier for consumers to make environmentally friendly choices.
“The Unified Water Label Association is committed to driving home the water efficiency message, encouraging everyone in the supply chain to support us by highlighting the label and the products that carry it to ensure more of these products are used in the home. We are also working to help consumers understand that they can choose products that fit with their lifestyles, and that they can change behaviours to use products with more awareness.
“Those interested in supporting the UWLA or joining us to embrace a cleaner, greener bathroom revolution can find out more by visiting the website www.uwla.eu.”