We’re all grappling with the climate crisis, and the world’s water-related issues must be addressed as part of the solution…

At Hotel Chocolat, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. So events like World Water Week really do get us excited…

What is World Water Week

Founded in 1991 by the Stockholm International Water Institute, World Water Week is the leading conference on global water issues. The annual non-profit event brings together organisations from 130-plus countries to work on solving some of the world’s greatest water-related challenges. With researchers, global decision-makers, students and NGOs all in the same place with their brains well and truly switched on, the week is an inspiring environment that delivers real-world strategies.

World Water Week opens conversations across industries, nurturing collaboration and shared learning. With sessions covering food security and health, biodiversity, technology, agriculture, and the climate crisis, it’s a catalyst for positive change.

What is the aim of World Water Week

World Water Week brings together scientific understanding and policy and decision making. By creating a welcoming space for differing perspectives, there is a better chance of finding clear solutions to our water, environmental and development challenges. Sharing knowledge takes us closer to a just, prosperous and sustainable future – so you can probably see why we’re so excited about it at Hotel Chocolat.

Water is crucial to a healthy world, so World Water Week provides an environment for optimistic minds to focus and answer those big questions. The organisers focus on making it an inclusive conference that raises awareness and inspires transformative action.

By welcoming people and organisations from beyond the water community, lessons learned during the conference will permeate across sectors.

Who is involved in World Water Week

With a Gold Standard for representation, World Water Week’s sessions feature speakers and panellists from a range of backgrounds and regions, with women making up at least 40 per cent of the speakers and at least one person under 35 years of age per panel.

In collaboration with the Global Center on Adaptation and the World Meteorological Organization, influential household names – think Facebook and Nestle – join media partners Global Citizen and Circle of Blue in supporting World Water Week.

World Water Week runs from the 23rd to 27th of August (free of charge). It’s online this year, so join in if you can! This year’s theme is Building Resilience Faster and it has a programme packed with 300 sessions.

What can you do to reduce water

Aside from engaging with educational programmes such as World Water Week, there are several ways you can do your bit for the planet.

Climate breakdown is driving water shortages and depleting our supplies. So reducing your personal water consumption is a big way to help.

Personal ways to reduce your water usage:

• Have short showers – a standard shower uses around 2.5 gallons of water per minute
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth
• Only use your washing machine and dishwasher for a full load
• Fix leaks around your house
• Reduce your food waste (it takes a lot of water to produce our food)
• Time when you water your plants. (Water them in the early morning or early evening so the sun and heat doesn’t evaporate the water)
• Use a water butt to catch rainwater to water your plants
• Cut down on your meat and dairy consumption (which are water-intensive to produce) and try to eat seasonal vegetables

The big picture

Even the smallest changes can have a mighty effect, but think about the big picture, too…

To level up your water consciousness, you can stop investing in ‘watergrabbing’ companies that contribute to water scarcity and pollution. Make sure you know where your personal savings and pension are invested and spread awareness about ethical funding in your community. You might want to support a divestment campaign group in your area and email your local councillor asking them to support divestment.

You can also use your voice to put pressure on the Government and encourage them to help save fresh water and prevent water pollution. One of the best ways to do this is by joining a Climate Action group that works on driving positive change both locally and nationally.

Large companies are the biggest culprits for wasting water and increasing water pollution, so campaigning for changes in the laws that govern them is vital. Whether these laws prevent them from using toxic soil-polluting chemicals or force them to measure and manage the resources they use, every step helps.

Finally, put your money where your mouth is. Support businesses engaging in beneficial water practices. At Hotel Chocolat, we’re always striving to do more. We’re pretty sure most companies could do far more to support water projects around the world.

Ethical Partnerships

Currently, we’re proud of the ethical partnerships we have with farmers around the world and the community projects we support. For instance, we ethically source some of our cacao from Ghana, where eight boreholes we’ve dug provide clean, safe drinking water – and we’re working on creating three more.

Whether you want to really dive into World Water Week or just improve your personal water use, we support you! There are so many ways to reduce our impact on the environment, so get out there and get involved.