Water Footprint

We have had a methodology for calculating and reporting our water footprint since 2015. By knowing our water footprint and details about its components, we can analyze the risks and opportunities related to water.

This methodology for calculation covers all of the Group’s companies that are under operational control. It has been developed specifically for our company based on the principles of The Water Footprint Assessment Manual (WFM),  Global Water Tool (GWT), and GRI-G4. These indices examine factors such as the country’s water stress, the impact on water resources, the impact on managing vegetation, and water quality and accessibility. This way, the global impact on this resource can be quantified.

Our water footprint is composed of three indices:

• The Business Water Index (BWI), which is related to water consumption and discharge for our activities
• The Water Treatment Index (WTI), which is related to the impact on the resource caused by water treatment activity (WWTP, Wastewater Treatment Plant; IWTP, Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant; WTC, Water Treatment Center; and SDP, Seawater Desalination Plant)
• The Water Access Index (WAI), which is related to our water supply projects belonging to the Social Action Program

Water Consumption by Source

Objectives

Ferrovial has set a goal of reducing BWI by 20% by 2030, over the baseline of 2017 and an Annual Water Footprint Compensation Target of (WTI + WAI / BWI) ≥ 70.

Water Policies

We recognize that water is a limited, non-renewable, natural resource that is directly related to global change and is a necessary, fundamental element in the circular economy.

In our role as a consumer and provider of services associated with water resources, we encourage the following principles among all of our stakeholders.

Principles

• Compliance with current legislation and regulations on water, as well as with specifications by international reference standards and those established internally by the organization, directing management toward the highest quality standards
• Support in developing regulatory frameworks geared toward efficient, sustainable water usage
• Responsible, efficient management of this resource, paying attention to every part of its full cycle, thus favoring social development and conservation of ecosystems
• Seeking solutions to the growing demand for drinking water and quality deterioration due to pollution
• Establishing indicators, objectives, monitoring procedures, and strategies that allow for continuous control and evaluation of efficient management of the entire water cycle and its responsible usage in the company’s direct operations, optimizing the balance that informs the Group’s water footprint
• Support for developing and using new technologies that allow for more efficient use of the resource
• Integration of water use and management into the company’s risk management strategy
• Communicating the results of comprehensive water management at the company
• The company’s involvement in facilitating access to clean water and sanitation for those in developing countries

Review our Water Policy here.