ACTUAL and Circle of Blue Co-Host the Fourth Installment of “Designing Water’s Future” Global Dialogues at the Futur/io CSO Forum

As compounding water crises threaten the global economy, food and energy security, and sustainability, Circle of Blue and ACTUAL today are co-hosting the fourth installment of the Designing Waters Future global dialogues during the Futur/io CSO Leadership Forum. The initiative is building a new operating system for the worlds fresh water that integrates advanced data analytics, AI, and frontline journalism to inform collective action and change.

The Futur/io Forum brings together CSOs, corporate sustainability leaders and policy innovators to discuss business strategies and solutions for global challenges, such as water, which the World Economic Forum has identified as one of the worlds top five challenges.

J. Carl Ganter, Circle of Blue Managing Director: The water crisis is an accelerating economic and environmental disaster that is affecting human health, supply chains, geopolitical stability, and biodiversity. It is also at the core of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Designing Waters Future is a vital step forward in averting this accelerating crisis by rapidly informing solutions and investments, and envisioning a sustainable water future for all.

The Designing Waters Future initiative, created by Circle of Blue with the support of APCO Worldwide, Dalberg Catalyst, Dholakia Foundation, Microsoft, and Citi, is a coordinated and urgent response to freshwater crises through collaboration, technology, and systemic change.

The urgency for coordinated responses to water risks and crises is highlighted by experts who estimate a 40% shortfall between water demand and supply by 2030. As Gartner and many leading analysts note, water stress in 2024 is making water more scarce and expensive for enterprises to consume and continues to impact communities, governments and businesses globally.

Water is the lifeblood of global supply chains, and its scarcity poses a significant threat to private sector. The Designing Waters Future initiative is crucial for building a water-secure future by empowering companies to collaborate, harnessing science and data to drive strategic capital investment to build resilient supply chains. At ACTUAL, were committed to providing actionable solutions that ensure a secure water future, driving both business resilience and sustainability. – Karthik Balakrishnan, President at ACTUAL

According to a new report from Citi, publicly listed companies risk $3.1 trillion in revenue losses due to water shortages and water pollution. Mexico City, Bogota, Phoenix, and Johannesburg are among a growing list of urban centers that face serious water stress this summer.

For more information on the Designing Waters Future global initiative contact dwf@circleofblue.org .

About Circle of Blue
Circle of Blue is the internationally recognized nonprofit centre for original frontline reporting, research and analysis on water resource issues and the intersections of water, food, energy, climate and equity nexus. It received the Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Innovation Award for creating a new model of impact journalism and convening. Visit: circleofblue.org

About ACTUAL
Founded in 2018 by Rajesh Chandran, Karthik Balakrishnan, Ph.D., and Derek Lyons, Ph.D., ACTUAL builds the first-in-category AI-driven capital planning technology designed to help organizations globally build capital plans to meet their environmental and UN-SDG aligned targets. ACTUALs platform enables leaders to build living capital plans that are always up to date, in compliance with evolving standards, and available for stakeholder inspection. ACTUALs platform has been recognized by Business Intelligence Group as a 2022 Sustainability Product of the Year, is a TIME Best Inventions 2022 winner and an honoree of Fast Companys 2023 Innovation By Design Award. ACTUAL is backed by Energy Capital Ventures, Buckley Ventures, Hyper, Social Impact Capital, Wndrco, Sequoia Scout, Signalfire Scout, Craft Scout and Global Founders Capital. For more information, visit actualhq.com.

About Futur/io
Futur/io is a leading institute for corporate sustainable innovation and leadership in Europe. The CSO Leadership Forum is taking place at the VitraCampus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, May 13-14, 2024. The summit provides a platform for chief sustainability officers, Top100 CSOs, and sustainability leaders to share insights, strengthen connections, and co-create solutions for a more sustainable future. futur.io