10. The undertaking shall disclose its water-related policies in accordance with the provisions of ESRS 2 GDR-P.

11. If the undertaking has sites located in areas with water stress that are not covered by its water-related policies, it shall disclose this fact.

Footnote to paragraph 10
This information supports the information needs of financial market participants subject to Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 because it is derived from a mandatory indicator related to principal adverse impacts as set out by indicator #7 in Table 2 of Annex I of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1288 with regard to disclosure rules on sustainable investments ('Investments in companies without water management policies').

Footnote to paragraph 11
This information supports the information needs of financial market participants subject to Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 because it is derived from a mandatory indicator related to principal adverse impacts as set out by indicator #8 in Table 2 of Annex I of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1288 with regard to disclosure rules on sustainable investments ('Exposure to areas of high water stress').

AR 1 for paras. 11, 13, 14 and 16(b) (Water stress)
​Water stress encompasses quantity or availability (related to water scarcity) together with water quality and accessibility considerations and provides a measure of basin pressure.
Water stress is one component of physical water-related risks, together with other factors not related to water stress, such as flooding and droughts. A comprehensive understanding of water-related risks considers all components of physical water-related risks (e.g. water stress, flooding, droughts) as well as regulatory and reputational water-related risks.

AR 2 for paras. 11, 13, 14 and 16(b) (Areas with water stress)
Global indicators (with associated datasets) and related thresholds to assess if an area is with water stress include:

While these global indicators account for water stress in terms of the quantity of water resource available (related to water scarcity), a comprehensive assessment of water stress encompasses all its dimensions (quantity, quality and accessibility).
The assessment whether an area is exposed to water stress is typically done at the basin level as a minimum. Tailored methodologies may be used to assess whether an area is exposed to water stress and may leverage local knowledge.

Strategic water management

Our basic aim is to use resources effectively and responsibly. This principle also applies to our water management and is a central part of our strategic direction within our group-wide environmental mission and sustainability strategy.

An important indicator of our success is the specific water consumption per unit produced, which we monitor and optimise continuously in line with the targets of our environmental strategy. For example, we had set ourselves the target of reducing water consumption per unit produced by 23% by 2025 compared with 2010, and we already reached it in 2022. We make further progress through innovative technologies and optimised processes, in particular by reusing water in our production cycles. In this way, we sustainably reduce the pressure on natural water sources.

We monitor our progress with a comprehensive reporting tool that compares actual water consumption with the planned targets on a monthly basis. We carry out this monitoring both at global level and for our individual sites.

In addition to our production measures, we commit to applying industry-leading practices to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water resources and to improve water quality at all our sites. In doing so, we involve partners along the value chain and relevant stakeholders in order to develop programmes that minimise water-related impacts and benefit the community.

We actively integrate risks and opportunities that arise from global environmental changes, such as climate change, into our business strategy. Our aim is to improve our performance beyond the legal requirements, to safeguard water quality and to ensure the availability of water resources for future generations. With state-of-the-art technology and continuous innovation in technology and management, we optimise the water footprint of our products and make sure that we always meet the expectations of our stakeholders.