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Courtauld 2030 Water Roadmap

A Roadmap Towards Water Security for Food and Drink Supply

Protecting critical water resources for food supply, for nature, and for local communities

The Courtauld 2030 Water Roadmap ('A Roadmap towards Water Security for Food & Drink Supply') sets out a vision and key pathways to address the challenges we collectively face in protecting critical water resources for food supply, for nature and for local communities.

It is a joint vision for the outcome we are seeking across the UK food & drink industry as a whole, to deliver the Courtauld Commitment 2030 water target that 50% of the UK’s fresh food is sourced from areas with sustainable water management.

The Courtauld 2030 Water Roadmap also aims to deliver an important contribution towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), as well as protecting and restoring biodiversity, and contributing to Net Zero goals through the implementation of nature-based solutions.

Supporting businesses

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By supporting the Water Roadmap, businesses are signing up to:

  • Follow WWF’s Water Stewardship Ladder;
  • Set water-related targets for their own direct business operations and to help reduce water risk in their supply chain;
  • Carry out supply chain water risk mapping using the WWF Water Risk Filter;
  • Participate in collective action projects where appropriate, in the UK and/or overseas (this will normally involve a minimum annual contribution to project costs); and  
  • Report annually on progress against these activities.

Courtauld 2030 Water Roadmap - WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature

The agricultural pillar of the WWF Basket includes an outcome aligned to the Courtauld Water Roadmap, for 50% of fresh food to be from areas with sustainable water management, by 2030.

WRAP is working directly with WWF to support and encourage the entire food and drink sector to take action, as set out through the Courtauld Water Roadmap, to deliver on the commitment to source 50% of fresh food from areas with sustainable water management by 2030. Over 55 UK food & drink businesses have signed up to this Roadmap, including all major UK food retailers.

In May 2023, working with WRAP and WWF, signatories to WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature – Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose – agreed to a series of leadership actions and associated funding contributions intended to drive progress towards the milestones set out in the Courtauld Water Roadmap, and to catalyse other organisations across the food and drink sector to also act, fund and support delivery of the Roadmap.

Find out more about the WWF Basket

Watch the launch webinar