BS ISO 14046 water footprint – principles, requirements and guidelines

Water use and management is a key consideration for any organization in light of growing demand for resources and increasing water scarcity. Water management is required at local, regional and global levels – and this also requires a consistent assessment technique.

BS ISO 14046 is the new standard for water footprinting that will provide this consistency and give water footprint results credibility.

This is the international standard that specifies the principles, requirements and guidelines of assessing and reporting water footprints. This applies to products, processes and organizations and is based on life cycle assessment. BS ISO 14046 provides requirements and guidance for calculating and reporting a water footprint as a standalone assessment – or as part of a wider environmental assessment.

A water footprint is a way of assessing not only water use but potential environmental impacts related to water. BS ISO 14046 can be conducted and reported as a stand-alone assessment (where only potential environmental impacts related to water are assessed) or as part of a life cycle assessment (where consideration is given to all relevant potential environmental impacts, and not only those related to water).