Business Roundtable launched the S.E.E. Change (Society, Environment and the Economy) initiative in September 2005.  S.E.E. Change asks America’s leading companies to set challenging goals that benefit society, the environment and the economy. In essence, it is “doing well by doing good,” but it also uses economic value as part of its criteria for evaluating goals and metrics. S.E.E. Change is designed to encourage market expansion; cancel inefficiencies; recruit, retain and motivate top talent; increase return on investments; and provide measurable benefits for both the company and its shareholders.

Water has been elevated as a priority area within S.E.E. Change. Sustaining the world’s water resources is an urgent social and environmental challenge due to numerous factors, including rising demand, inefficient use and contamination of water supplies. Additionally, constraints on water availability represent a serious obstacle to economic development.

For the business community, addressing the growing global challenges posed by water scarcity and water quality is both an economic necessity and an opportunity for social and environmental leadership. The business community can play a constructive role in addressing the worldwide water crisis by bringing innovation and management discipline to reduce each company’s water-related impacts; to mitigate risks; and to maximize business opportunities associated with delivering enhanced quality, quantity and availability of water. Some companies appreciate the strategic importance of water issues but many others do not. Through the S.E.E. Change: Water Brief For Business, the Roundtable can perform a valuable educational function by raising the awareness of member CEOs and motivating them to look seriously at how their companies use and affect water resources and what role they can play in addressing the water challenge. Where companies determine that a strategic business case exists for investment in sustainable water use, S.E.E. Change can provide the tools and framework for designing and implementing a sustainable water initiative. The purpose of this Web site is to lay out the case for business engagement on the critical issue of water sustainability and to provide world-class resources to help Business Roundtable companies and others take tangible actions that make for better business in a better world.