11/14/2022
The very nature of TotalEnergies’s business means that we need freshwater to run some of the units on our sites. The Company is aware of the issues surrounding this resource and has committed to contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2016. We have therefore taken steps to manage the volume of water withdrawn and the quality of water discharged.
The Company’s activities may potentially have an impact on, as well as be dependent on, water resources, particularly when the activity concerned is in a water resources sensitive environment.
Fully aware of these challenges, TotalEnergies implements the following water risk management actions:
- monitor water withdrawals to identify priority sensitive sites and then carry out a risk assessment;
- improve water resources management depending on identified needs, by adapting the priority sites’ environmental management system.
Contributing to the sustainable use of freshwater
In 2021, the Company’s sites withdrew 101 million m3 of fresh water, with net consumption of 75 million m3. 54% this volume was withdrawn in areas of water stress according to the WRI definition, i.e. areas where human demand for water exceeds 40% of resources available.
For priority sites defined as those located in water stress areas and withdrawing more than 500,000 m3 per year, TotalEnergies assesses water resources risk levels using, in particular, the Local Water Tool (LWT) for Oil & Gas from the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI). This risk assessment establishes that the activities of the sites operated by the Company only expose the other users of the water to a relatively low risk of water shortage.
In 2021, TotalEnergies responded to the CDP Water survey for the 2020 period and was, for the fourth consecutive year, graded A-. The main indicator used in this reporting is freshwater withdrawal. In January 2022, TotalEnergies has set a new target for the freshwater ressource protection for 2030. The ambition of the Company is now to reduce by 20% its freshwater withdrawal in water stress area between 2021 and 2030.
In early 2022, TotalEnergies joined the CEO Water Mandate, a United Nations initiative to promote access to water and sanitation for all. The CEO Water Mandate establishes five principles for the management of water resources that the Company follow through several committed actions, accompanied by a system of transparency.