Some words from the chairman

At SUEZ in Spain, we are committed to the sustainable use of resources and people's quality of life. We have joined the new global Agenda for Sustainable Development, a challenge for governments, companies and citizens to eradicate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.

To achieve this, we adopted the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and we share the targets to reach by 2030. We are aware that these goals can only be achieved with a commitment to global alliances and cooperation. Because the future of water, climate, and the production and consumption model is in the hands of all.

The future of water

Although there is enough freshwater on the planet for all of us to have water with no impurities, currently one in ten people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water.¹

•  By 2030, the water demand could exceed its availability by 40%.²
• In 2050, it is expected that at least 25% of the global population will live in a country affected by chronic, recurring scarcity of freshwater.³

At SUEZ in Spain, we work to ensure the availability of water, its sustainable management, and sanitation for all.

Climate change

To tackle the challenge of climate change, we must progress in a coordinated, global way towards a low-carbon economy. The consequences of climate change include sea level rise, extreme weather events, and changes in weather patterns. Drought, desertification, and salination of groundwater and land accelerates, which contributes to the displacement of people. The average temperature of the planet's surface rises.

• According to the United Nations, more people are now displaced because of the effects of climate change than by wars.
• A total of 30% of the land's surface is covered by forests, which are fundamental to combat climate change. Every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear.⁴

At SUEZ in Spain, we work to apply solutions and develop our economic activity in a way that is sustainable and respectful of the environment.

The production and consumption model

The current model of production and consumption is based on extracting, manufacturing, consuming, and discarding. It is a linear model that does not consider the exhaustion of resources or the environmental impact that this represents; it is an unsustainable model.

• The global human population currently consumes resources equivalent to 1.6 planets and it is forecast that this figure will reach 2 planets by 2030.
• In 2050, 10 billion people will live on the planet.⁵

The circular economy enables a model of responsible production and consumption, as it reduces the entry of raw materials and the production of waste, which is reused as new resources and incorporated into the production system. The transformation of the linear economy to the circular economy pressures us to use wastewater once it has been treated.

At SUEZ in Spain, we work to ensure a sustainable model of production and consumption, a challenge that requires social involvement and partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.

We integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into our business strategy. We are aware of the transforming force of private agents and the call to global action to ensure that the described goals become a reality. To contribute to this achievement, we have developed our own strategic plan of sustainable development, the REwater Global Plan 2017-2021.