Newday Spotlight: Ecolab Inc.

This week’s Newday Spotlight is Ecolab. Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) is a global provider of water, energy technology, and hygiene services. Newday includes Ecolab in the Fresh Water portfolio, which focuses on water purification, access to water, clean rivers, and clean lakes.

Sustainability is an integral part of everything they do- both with their services and internally. While their expertise helps customers reduce their dependence on natural resources, Ecolab is working to improve the sustainability of their facilities by reducing water consumption, carbon emissions, and waste stream. According to their Corporate Sustainability Report, in 2017, Ecolab helped customers conserve more than 171 billion gallons of water, save 12 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) of energy, and eliminate 52 million pounds of waste.

This May, Ecolab received the World Environment Center’s 2018 Gold Medal Award for Corporate Sustainability. Ecolab was selected based upon its many initiatives in global water conservation, but also because of its multiple sustainability commitments and partnerships. Partnerships are key to Ecolab’s success. As Ecolab’s Chairman and CEO Douglas Baker mentions in the 2017 Corporate Sustainability Report, “Our biggest impact on our planet is through the work we do around the world- for our customers and in support of partnerships and programs that protect the environment, such as the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.”

Ecolab is constantly setting new goals for improvement in the areas of sustainability. By 2030, they aim to conserve 300 billion gallons of water annually. This is roughly equal to the annual drinking water needs of more than 1 billion people. Through partnerships and their support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, they are working to guarantee access to safe and clean water for all. As CEO Baker points out, “Operating the nexus of business and sustainability, we strive to lead by example and serve as a catalyst for a better world.”