In the context of the GRI Standards, the environmental dimension of sustainability concerns an organization’s impacts on living and non-living natural systems, including land, air, water, and ecosystems.

GRI 303 addresses the topic of water and effluents. Access to fresh water is essential for human life and wellbeing, and is recognized by the United Nations (UN) as a human right. The Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the UN as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, include key targets related to sustainable water management under Goal 6: ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’. These targets aim, for example, to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water, improve water quality, and address water scarcity.

The amount of water withdrawn and consumed by an organization and the quality of its discharges, can impact the functioning of the ecosystem in numerous ways. Direct impacts on a catchment can have wider impacts on the quality of life in an area, including social and economic consequences for local communities and indigenous peoples. 

Since water is a shared resource, and water-related impacts are localized, organizations are increasingly being encouraged to:

• prioritize action in areas with water stress;
• understand and respond to local contexts, including local social and environmental impacts;
• aim to benefit and respect the needs and priorities of all water users in an area;
• align their approaches and collective actions with other water users and with effective public policy.

Through a comprehensive understanding of its water use, an organization can assess the impacts it has on water resources that benefit the ecosystem, other water users, and the organization itself. An organization, particularly a water-intensive one, can use this information for effective water management.

The disclosures in this Standard are designed to help an organization better understand and communicate its significant water-related impacts, and how it manages them.