This week at the Budapest Water Summit, the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched its Global Water Tool for the Cement Sector. The tool is a free and easy-to-use resource designed to help cement companies manage their water use more efficiently and sustainably.

Representatives from CSI member companies Holcim, Italcementi, Lafarge, Titan and Votorantim participated at the Business Leaders Forum of the Summit and were involved in demonstrating the tool to summit participants.

The tool integrates global water data for groundwater, surface water and precipitation. Once a site location is entered, the tool automatically identifies a water stress area and its biodiversity hotspots, and will generate maps and charts of the company's operations. Using this tool is a crucial first step for companies striving to better manage their water use.

The Global Water Tool (GWT) was first launched by the WBCSD in 2007. Since then, more than 300 companies have used the tool to map their water use and assess their water risk by identifying geographic areas of water scarcity, and undue stress on water sources at a global scale. The tool has since been customized for two other business sectors (oil and gas and power utilities) and one global region (India). The commitment by CSI members to develop this tool demonstrates how companies are taking a risk-based approach to addressing this issue.