NAPERVILLE, Ill., Feb. 4, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nalco (NYSE:NLC), providing essential expertise for water, energy and air, has deepened its commitment to the United Nations Global Compact with the endorsement of the CEO Water Mandate by Chairman and CEO Erik Fyrwald. "As the global leader in industrial water treatment, we recognize water use and availability is a critical global issue that negatively impacts millions," Fyrwald said in his letter to United Nations Secretary General H.E. Ban Ki-moon.
The World Health Organization states that one fifth of the world's population (more than 1.1 billion people) live in areas where water is physically scarce. By 2025 the UN estimates 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions suffering from absolute water scarcity – meaning water demand by all users cannot be fully met by available supplies.
Nalco has committed to support and advance water sustainability solutions within the company's sphere of influence in the six areas covered by the CEO Water Mandate: Direct Operations; Supply Chain and Watershed Management; Collective Action; Public Policy; Community Engagement; and Transparency.
Nalco has been helping various industries use water more efficiently for decades. For example, 3D TRASAR® Cooling Water technology helped industrial customers reduce their water use by 75 billion gallons in 2009. In support of the CEO Water Mandate, Nalco is also evaluating its own water use to set internal reduction targets.
About Nalco
Nalco is the world's leading water treatment and process improvement company, delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. More than 11,500 Nalco employees operate in 130 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2009, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.7 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.
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