Explanation of why we moved from one methodology to another for calculating water impact.
Introduction
One of the most widespread methods so far was the methodology of Pfister et al. But this method is becoming obsolete: it was developed in 2009 and, since then, its author and other recognised experts (the WULCA working group) agreed on a new modelling system that was launched in 2016 called AWARE (Available Water Remaining). This new method was immediately recommended by the European Commission’s Environmental Impacts Programme. For this reason and since June 2021, BCome uses the AWARE methodology for the water scarcity calculation of each new collection.
Why the change of methodology?
With the use of the AWARE methodology, the water scarcity impact of your articles will be greater than before due to the use of characterization factors based on the “Demand to availability” ratio (DTA), including the demand of humans and ecosystems for water. This method takes into account the total amount of water available and subtracts the demand to deduct the amount available for use according to the country of origin.
For example, cotton grown in India has a greater impact compared to cotton from Bangladesh due to the increased water scarcity in India. It also means that with greater impacts of water scarcity, greater “Savings” can be calculated by comparing materials with each other. However, you will not be able to compare the results of water scarcity calculated with the previous method with the results calculated with the new AWARE methodology.
To find out how to communicate this change to the end consumer – click here