Clean Water and Sanitation

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announced this week that Braden Milford of Tulsa, Oklahoma has won the 2018 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP), the nation’s most prestigious youth competition for water-related research sponsored by Xylem. Students from 49 states and Puerto Rico competed for the prize from June 16-17 at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The SJWP aims to increase students’ interest in water issues, research, and careers, as well as to raise awareness about global water challenges. The competition is open to projects focused on improving water quality, water resource management, water protection, and drinking water and wastewater treatment.

At Sustainable Brands, we spoke with Virginie Helias, vice president of global sustainability for P&G, to hear how the Cincinnati-based CPG company will attack the ocean plastics crisis as part of a progressive ESG agenda that also includes dialog with consumers about responsible consumption.

P&G has reiterated its commitment to find solutions so that no P&G packaging finds its way to the world’s oceans. This builds on the Company’s leadership efforts in reducing its use of plastics in its packaging, increasing the amount of recycled plastic it is using and helping create the right infrastructures to enable recycling.

Consumers expect the brands they trust to deliver superior performance and to also help solve some of the most complex challenges facing our world. Our global reach, our understanding of the five billion consumers we serve, and our innovation capabilities give us a unique ability to make a positive difference.

The UN Global Compact Bulletin is designed to keep participants up to date on news, actions you can take, resources and events. Participants are encouraged to look to this monthly communication for important information. Please note that actions and events are intended for Global Compact stakeholders, unless otherwise indicated. The Bulletin is published in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

The Bellona Foundation and Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company with nine global cruise line brands, have signed an agreement of cooperation where the parties agree to work together to continue improving environmental and sustainability impact. The newly formed cooperation is based on the two parties’ shared vision of an even more sustainable cruise industry in a future zero emission society.

Graduate students in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs program joined Barclays this spring in a commitment to help address stresses on the world’s freshwater supplies through a Capstone workshop. This was the fifth consecutive year Barclays hosted its work-study program with Columbia University students.

Antea Group spotlights inspirational Bob Karls in a disarming and passionate snapshot of his career.

Single-use plastics (including straws, cutlery and containers) are contributing to the overall threat our oceans are facing. Every year, more than 8 million tons of plastic enter the seas. And no, this is not plastic that fell off a boat. It came from the land via river systems. It was carelessly littered, improperly disposed of, or escaped from our global waste management systems.

May marked the final month of pilot stage testing for the top 9 George Barley Water Prize contestant teams. This international $10 million grand prize competition aims to find a lasting solution to the problem of harmful algal blooms fed by excess phosphorus. Begun in 2016 with more than 100 contestant teams, the competition’s latest stage challenged teams to test their innovations in real-world, cold-climate conditions. The winning team will demonstrate a cost-effective, scalable solution to remove and repurpose phosphorus from freshwater.