Find WRI at these events at World Water Week 2026. 

Sunday, August 23

SBTN V2 & CSRD: Integrating Science-Based Freshwater Disclosure 

Time: 14:00 – 15:30 (CET) | Location: C4, Level 2 

As climate change is intensifying and water insecurity is increasing, this session focuses on the progress being made in supporting the private sector to respect freshwater planetary boundaries and contribute to a safe and just future. 

The session will provide an inside look at Version 2 (V2) freshwater science-based targets, anticipated for release later in 2026. V2 expands SBTN’s guidance on groundwater and pesticides—key additions intended to help companies address a wider share of their freshwater impacts. In this session, companies currently piloting V2 will share what they’ve learned from the early stages of implementation, along with the next steps planned to address their water-related impacts. 

The session will also unpack how companies can prepare freshwater targets to complement their broader sustainability reporting obligations. As regulatory frameworks such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) increasingly require structured reporting of water-related impacts, risks, actions, and targets, SBTN’s freshwater methodology provides the science-based foundation for companies to translate those disclosures into meaningful, measurable change. 

  • WRI Speakers: Sara Walker, Katharina Wache 
  • Convenors: WRI, Accountability Accelerator, CDP Worldwide, Conservation International, Science Based Targets Network, The CEO Water Mandate, The Nature Conservancy, World Wide Fund for Nature 
  • Online Session ID: 12629 

Monday, August 24

Advancing water stewardship with credible benefit accounting: VWBA 2.0, WQBA, BioBA 

Time: 16:30 – 18:00 (CET)  | Location: A4, Level 6 

Description: For almost two decades corporate water stewardship investments have delivered volumetric, water quality, and biodiversity benefits to people and the environment. Project development, implementation, benefit quantification and credible reporting require clear and standardized guidance to facilitate collaboration between corporate partners and on-the-ground implementers. A shared approach and common language can build trust, alignment between parties and a mutual understanding of project benefits.  

Three new complementary publications (VWBA 2.0, WQBA, BioBA) provide consistent, pragmatic, and science-based principles and guidance to ensure a stronger contribution to addressing water challenges that affect people and the environment. This session will examine diverse case studies to share practical knowledge and best practices. Case studies will be viewed through multiple lenses of project implementers, funders and practitioners responsible for benefit quantification and reporting.  

Presenters and panelists will share technical and programmatic project details, the value of the guidance and lessons learned, with linkage to how projects help build a more equitable water secure future for people and better care for our planet. Case studies will encompass varied project configurations: NGO and private sector implementing partners, nature-based solutions and water infrastructure improvements, bi-lateral and collaborative investments, and volumetric and multi-benefit (water quality, biodiversity, socio-economic) project objectives. 

  • WRI Speakers: Sara Walker 
  • Convenors: WRI, Google, LimnoTech, Pacific Institute, The Nature Conservancy 
  • Online Session ID: 12631 

Tuesday, August 25

Water in Business I: Water Resilience in a Changing World 

Time: 14:00 – 14:30 (CET)  | Location: A1 – Centre stage, Level 4 

Description:Water-related risks are increasingly shaping priorities across sectors, economies, and political agendas. Climate extremes and other water-related disruptions are increasingly affecting food production, industrial operations, energy production, trade flows, and economic stability across regions. 

Food systems, industrial operations, and global markets are increasingly exposed to water-related disruptions that extend beyond individual operations and across regions and sectors. At the same time, growing regulatory expectations, disclosure frameworks, and stakeholder demands are reshaping how businesses assess and respond to water-related risks and dependencies.  

This session will provide a strategic scene-setting discussion on why water resilience matters now and how the changing global context is reshaping water-related decision-making. Drawing on perspectives from business, policy, and international organizations, the discussion will explore how companies and governments are responding to increasing uncertainty, what this means for agriculture and trade, and how water resilience is increasingly becoming a foundation for long-term social and economic stability. 

  • WRI Speakers: Sara Walker 
  • Convenors: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Government of Netherlands 
  • Online Session ID: 17004 

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