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US Group boosts water savings

through International Water

Stewardship Standard

global industry leader in them for becoming one of our first suppliers to
acquiring Alliance for achieve AWS certification. We hope that this will
Water Stewardship generate significant impact and inspire others.”
Certification.
Implementing the AWS US Group began their water stewardship journey in
Standard has enabled us July 2018, when they signed a commitment to
to go outside our own implement the AWS Standard with WWF-Pakistan as
premises, build their implementing partners under the International
awareness within our Labour and Environmental Standards Application in
factories and supply Pakistan SME’s (ILES) project, funded by European
chain, and engage with Union. This signalled their public commitment to work
businesses, communities and public departments to on water stewardship. to support and collaborate with more enterprises to Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard
identify water risks and challenges – and work transform the sector by working together and going The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) is a global,
together to address them.” The AWS Standard required them to work through beyond the fence line to address shared water multi-stakeholder membership organization whose
five key steps to improve Good Water Governance; challenges.” mission is to ignite and nurture global and local
US Group also created awareness amongst Sustainable Water Balance; Good Water Quality leadership in credible water stewardship that allows a site to make credible claims related to their Given the many initiatives and standards that are
employees and the community about water Status; Important Water-Related Areas; and Safe There is now a growing number of sites in the textile recognizes and secures the social, cultural, water stewardship activities. already active in sector, efforts to catalyse greater
stewardship, including the importance of clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for all. industries that have registered for AWS certification, environmental and economic value of freshwater. uptake of water stewardship need to build on
drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), using including AGI denim, Yunus Textiles Mills Ltd., Artistic AWS are custodians of the AWS Standard, which The five steps of the Standard enable the existing approaches.
simple communications materials in both English and Sohail Ali Naqvi, Head Milliners and Gohar Textile Mills Pvt. Ltd., all of which provides a multi-stakeholder developed and implementer to understand their site’s reliance upon,
Urdu languages. Looking ahead, US Group is Freshwater and Senior face different contextual water risks. Two sites of endorsed best-practice framework for businesses to and impact on, water resources. Crucially, it also Two key examples include the Roadmap to Zero
developing plans to ensure access to safe drinking Manager ILES Project at Soorty Enterprises were recently certified, with one either implement water stewardship at their own sites steers the site through a process to identify other programme by ZDHC (aimed at reducing the sectors
water for local communities. WWF-Pakistan said: attaining Gold-level certification. The implementation or to leverage action at their supplier sites. The AWS risks and opportunities that might exist outside the use of chemicals) and the Higg Index by the
“Textile businesses have of the AWS Standard on all these sites will be key to Standard was created through a global, site itself, within the wider catchment (or watershed). Sustainable Apparel Coalition (aimed at providing a
The US Group believes that implementing the AWS started adopting the driving sustainable water use in the textile sector, multi-stakeholder development process, involving It is through this comprehensive approach, moving suite of tools that enable businesses to standardise
Pakistan denim and jeans manufacturer US Group, Group’s sites were certified in March 2020. Standard has strengthened their understanding of water stewardship both in Pakistan and globally. experts from around the world with experience in civil beyond water management to stewardship, that
based in Lahore, has reported 254,356m of water water risks in the catchment, which in turn has approach. society, the public sector and the private sector. As implementers contribute towards the five AWS how impacts are measured and managed across the
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savings in 2020 – the equivalent of 100 Olympic-size Implementing the AWS Standard has led to several improved their ZDHC and Higgs Index scores; both WWF-Pakistan is Maheen Malik, Alliance such, the approach set out by the AWS Standard is outcomes: Good Water Governance; Sustainable sector). AWS is undertaking research to assess how
swimming pools – by certifying to the Alliance for water-related actions, including the installation of key indicators of sustainability for retailers sourcing assisting the sector to for Water Stewardship recognised globally as international best practice on Water Balance; Good Water Quality Status; to build on these and other approaches to enhance
Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. systems for measuring water usage and routine textiles and apparel. The group supplies to major implement the Alliance Coordinator, Pakistan, water stewardship, supported by over 150 AWS Important Water-Related Areas; and Safe Water, water stewardship across the sector.
sampling of effluent discharge from their facilities. brands around the world including H&M. for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. As an said: “This is exactly the Members. Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for all.
The textiles sector remains one of the largest example, it encouraged US Group to certify to the type of local and global *Putting Water Stewardship to Work: Tackling Water
manufacturing industries in Pakistan, employing 45 The Standard not only requires good water Ziaur Rahman, Regional Country Manager, South AWS Standard – the first textile enterprise to do so leadership that is needed The Standard can be used by any water user, Sector Standards and Initiatives Pollution in the Textile and Apparel Value Chain
per cent of the country’s workforce, yet it is a management; it also requires good water Asia & Africa Region, H&M, said: “At H&M Group we globally on a core-level. to ignite credible water anywhere in the world. It takes the user on a journey As part of a three-year project* to tackle water (2020-2022) is a five-partner consortium project,
resource-intensive sector that requires large volumes stewardship, meaning that a site works beyond its are committed to ensuring that water is used stewardship. We are now to assess and understand their site and catchment challenges in the textile and apparel sector, AWS is which AWS is part of, together with partners Aid by
of water, whilst adversely affecting water quality. own fence-line and engages with other major water responsibly throughout our company’s supply chain. “WWF-Pakistan facilitated this enterprise in building momentum in the water risks, set contextually appropriate targets, working to raise awareness amongst brands and Trade Foundation, CDP, Solidaridad, and Water
users to take positive action at both the site and It is important for us to contribute to protecting the implementing the Standard since the beginning. This textiles sector, and develop a water stewardship plan and then evaluate their suppliers about the need for water stewardship, Witness, funded by the Swiss Agency for
US Group is the first textiles company in the world to catchment level. environment and to secure the availability of water for is a very pertinent milestone in WWF-Pakistan's water transparency is critical to and communicate transparently about activities and identify opportunities for collaboration and Development and Cooperation (SDC).
certify their sites to the AWS Standard (Core Level) – people. We applaud US Group for showing stewardship journey as the textile sector is now motivate others and scale up good work. Pakistan is undertaken. Through independent third-party alignment with others interested in working on water
a holistic approach to managing water sustainably Riaz Ahmad, Vice President Compliance of US leadership on water stewardship and congratulate ambitiously working towards the cause. We continue setting an example for the rest of the world.” verification, certification against the AWS Standard within the textile sector. For more information visit: a4ws.org/TEXtalks
both at a site and catchment scale. Two of US Apparel & Textiles, said: “We are proud to become a

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