Beyond compliance: Advancing environmental management through water stewardship

22 January 2026

Understanding and implementing advanced water stewardship is no longer optional. Water is essential for all life, yet modern human activity rapidly threatens both its availability and quality through pollution, over-extraction, and climate change. 

The conservation and efficient management of water is a persistent challenge. 80% of experts strongly agree that water demands the same level of urgency and resources currently dedicated to climate and biodiversity issues. 

Professionals must prioritize water's role in every aspect of environmental management and this new ISEP paper ‘Advancing Environmental Management Through Water Stewardship ’, brings together the environmental management systems (EMS) such as ISO 14001 and water stewardship frameworks such as the Alliance for Water Stewardship’s (AWS), to provide a strong starting point for environmental professionals.

The paper looks at interconnected risks, moving beyond the site boundary, and achieving outcomes and value creation. It includes a useful table comparing the ISO 14001 and a case study.

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By correctly implementing frameworks like AWS alongside ISO 14001, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of water’s strategic importance and achieve key benefits:

•    An holistic data lens: generating more detailed data and reporting for better decision-making.
•    Improved risk mitigation: identifying and managing water-related risks before they occur.
•    Effective stakeholder engagement: encouraging transparent and strong stakeholder engagement for collective action.
•    Long-term value: strengthening traditional risk management and compliance while supporting long-term value creation for both the business and local communities.

This integration allows us to transition from merely meeting regulatory requirements to move towards good governance and leadership in sustainable water management.

For sustainability practitioners, auditors, consultants, and regulators, water stewardship frameworks offer an essential enhancement to traditional EMS, steering organizations toward intentional water outcomes that secure a shared resource into the future.

FREE for ISEP members

Non-members can purchase the guide from the ISEP shop


Published by:
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Lesley Wilson AISEP

Policy and Engagement Lead

Lesley is Policy and Engagement Lead at ISEP with a focus on the rapidly developing area of biodiversity and natural capital. On behalf of ISEP, Lesley also supports and is a member of the Steering Group of the UK Business and Biodiversity Forum. Lesley has worked in environmental sustainability for 15 years and previously delivered programmes and solutions in sustainability for business at the British Standards Institution, including ground breaking standards in biodiversity net gain and natural capital. Lesley has a qualifications in business management (MBA) and climate change management, and mentors environmental students at the University of Westminster.