Impact of water crisis on future economic growth tops concerns
Company Website:
http://www.xyleminc.com
BEIJING -- (Business Wire)
The Xylem Value of Water Index: China reveals that 96 percent of
the urban Chinese public believes that the water challenges in China are
serious. Top-of-mind issues of concern include pollution, industrial
discharge, and overconsumption.
Further, 99 percent of survey respondents believe that it is important
for urgent action to be taken to address these challenges. The research
also shows that there is a strong willingness to make personal
contributions to solve these issues, with more than 94 percent of
respondents willing to change their behavior around water use and more
than 75 percent willing to pay more to support upgrading the water
system to secure access to clean water.
The Chinese government plans to spend two trillion yuan ($330 billion)
to address water challenges in China, specifically to improve water
quality through upgrading infrastructure and investments in technology.1
More than two-thirds of survey respondents were most concerned about the
water issues’ effects on economic growth and innovation in China.
Ninety-two percent of survey respondents support collaboration between
the government and the private sector to address the challenges. The
majority (88 percent) of water industry experts surveyed believe that
private sector companies have a role to play in supporting this effort,
specifically by developing technological innovation and providing the
expertise needed to address China’s water challenges.
“We conducted the Value of Water Index in China to better
understand the public perception of water challenges here, in addition
to gathering industry experts’ opinions on possible solutions,” said
Shuping Lu, President of Xylem China. “We’ve learned that there is a
broad understanding of the pressing need to address water challenges in
China, and most people are willing to play a role to help achieve this
important goal. There is meaningful progress being made in China, and
Xylem hopes to support the government’s efforts as we continue to
identify and develop solutions together.”
“As we all know, China’s water crisis is serious, yet the true value of
water has not been widely recognized. We cannot protect and conserve
water without truly appreciating its value,” said Weizhao Dai, Senior
Partner of E20 Environment Platform and Executive President of E20
Institute. “The Value of Water Index we conducted together with
Xylem aims to raise the public awareness of the value of water. We hope
that this research encourages Chinese society to take action to protect
water and promote China’s environmental dream.”
The 2014 Xylem Value of Water Index: China was released today at
the China Water Expo in Beijing by Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL), a leading
global water technology company focused on solving the world’s most
challenging water issues. The Xylem 2014 Value of Water Index is
the third installment of the Value of Water Index, and the first
to be conducted outside of the United States. The research was conducted
in partnership with China Water Net of the E20 Environment Platform, a
leading consulting firm focused on the intersection of environment and
industry.
To view the full results of the Index, visit http://www.xyleminc.com/valueofwater/.
About the 2014 Xylem Value of Water Index: China
The 2014 Xylem Value of Water Index in China is based on an
online study of 2,360 urban Chinese in selected Tier 1 and Tier 2, or
large and mid-size cities; and of 159 water industry influencers in
China. The margins of error at the 95 percent confidence level are +/-
2.4 percent for the urban consumer sample, +/- 3.9 percent for the
national elite sample, and +/- 7.9 percent for the water industry
experts sample. Each interview was approximately 20 minutes in duration.
Fieldwork for this study was conducted between September 11 and October
13, 2014.
The Value of Water Index has been conducted three times; first in 2010
and next in 2012, both in the United States. The 2014 study was expanded
to China as Xylem works to provide new insight into the perception of
water challenges in a critical market.
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology provider, enabling
customers to transport, treat, test and efficiently use water in public
utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and
agricultural settings. The company does business in more than 150
countries through a number of market-leading product brands, and its
people bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on finding
local solutions to the world’s most challenging water and wastewater
problems. Xylem is headquartered in Rye Brook, N.Y., with 2013 revenues
of $3.8 billion and more than 12,500 employees worldwide. Xylem was
named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last three years for
advancing sustainable business practices and solutions worldwide.
The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that
transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of
our water-centric business by linking it with the best water
transportation of all -- that which occurs in nature. For more
information, please visit us at www.xylem.com.
1http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/18/us-china-water-pollution-idUSBREA1H0H120140218
Contacts:
Xylem Inc.
Jennifer Jacob, +1-914-323-5745
Jennifer.Jacob@xyleminc.com
Source: Xylem Inc.
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