Kering and NUS study finds Asia-Pacific firms improving water efficiency but lagging in full-value-chain stewardship

Kering and NUS study finds Asia-Pacific firms improving water efficiency but lagging in full-value-chain stewardship

(IN BRIEF) Kering and the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at NUS Business School have released their second joint study on water stewardship, highlighting an improvement in water-efficiency measures across Asia-Pacific companies but identifying major gaps in supply-chain integration, watershed engagement and financial disclosure. The report evaluates six major companies from water-intensive sectors using an EESG framework, showing that most strategies still focus on internal operations rather than entire value-chain impacts. The findings call for stronger collaboration, more investment, and broader stewardship targets, particularly as water scarcity intensifies. Marie-Claire Daveu of Kering and Professor Lawrence Loh of NUS both emphasised the urgency of collective action, noting that water challenges mirror climate challenges in scale and interdependency. The release reinforces the need for more holistic corporate water strategies in the region.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 28-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A new study released by Kering and the Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School reveals that while Asia-Pacific companies are making progress in water efficiency, they are still falling short in addressing broader water-related risks—particularly those embedded in supply chains and shared catchment systems. The findings underscore a pressing need for businesses in the region to elevate water stewardship beyond internal operations and adopt more comprehensive risk-mitigation strategies.

Water is fundamental to sustainability, influencing climate, biodiversity, and human well-being. Yet only a fraction—just 0.3%—of global freshwater is accessible for human consumption. With resources becoming increasingly strained by climate change and rapid economic development, corporate water management is moving into sharper focus. The report, Corporate Water Stewardship: Strategies and Practices in Asia Pacific, analyses how leading regional companies are responding to this challenge and where further progress is required.

Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, emphasised the importance of understanding a company’s relationship with water—not only how it consumes the resource, but also its broader impacts, risks, and opportunities. She noted that this second joint publication with NUS builds on prior research into nature-related corporate strategies and highlights the continued urgency of water stewardship in the sustainability agenda.

Using an EESG evaluation framework, the study reviews the water-management strategies of six companies working in highly water-dependent industries including agriculture, beauty, fashion, and real estate. The research found that most organisations are prioritising internal initiatives such as improving water-use efficiency, monitoring consumption, ensuring compliance with regulations, reducing pollution, and managing operational dependencies. Good governance practices were identified as central to effective water stewardship.

However, the study also highlights shortcomings. Water strategies across the region remain mostly inward-facing, with limited expansion into upstream sourcing, raw-material extraction, or external shared-water systems. Gaps identified include limited investment in watershed initiatives, insufficient reporting of financial exposure, low collaboration with supply-chain partners, weak consumer engagement, and a general absence of context-specific water targets. The study concludes that meaningful stewardship must extend across entire value chains to reduce emerging water risks and align corporate responsibility with real-world impact.

Professor Lawrence Loh, Director at the Centre for Governance and Sustainability, stressed that regulatory compliance alone will not solve escalating water challenges. He drew parallels to climate action, noting that water sits within an interconnected nature-climate system and therefore requires collective action among businesses, suppliers, governments and communities. He urged companies to accelerate stewardship efforts before pressure on freshwater systems increases further.

About Kering

Kering is a global, family-led luxury group, home to people whose passion and expertise nurture creative Houses across couture and ready-to-wear, leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and beauty: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, Ginori 1735, as well as Kering Eyewear and Kering Beauté. Inspired  by their creative heritage, Kering Houses design and craft exceptional products and experiences that reflect the Group’s commitment to excellence, sustainability and culture. This vision is expressed in our signature: Creativity is our Legacy. In 2024, Kering employed 47,000 people and generated revenue of €17.2 billion.

About National University of Singapore (NUS)

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 15 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established more than 20 NUS Overseas Colleges entrepreneurial hubs around the world.

Press contacts 

Natalie LAW
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications
NUS Business School
National University of Singapore
Tel: +65 6601-1206
Email: natalielaw@nus.edu.sg

Kering:

Errial Chiu
APAC office
Email: errial.chiu@kering.com

Emmanuelle Picard-Deyme
HQ office
Email: emmanuelle.picard-deyme@kering.com

SOURCE: Kering