Xylem’s mission to build sustainability and responsibility into its business models delivers dividends and recognition.
As the modern world encounters the strains of growth and progress, water’s profile as an essential resource is growing. Water plays a pivotal role in all we do, and taking it for granted will severely affect our futures. The way forward is clear: to continue building a culture where sustainability meets progress and innovation to help give more people security and opportunity.
As a leader in water technologies, Xylem recognises this synergy and supports it throughout the water journey. It’s even in the name: xylem is the membrane that moves water and nutrients from the roots of plants into their stems and leaves. Likewise, Xylem has first-hand experience of how water ecosystems and cultures enhance people’s lives and business operations. Water is essential whether it’s used for hygiene, cooking and cleaning, reducing dust, powering industry or cooling energy generation.
Hence, Xylem is committed to sustainability and responsibility as an integrated part of its operations. Recently, Newsweek recognised that commitment by ranking Xylem as the second-most responsible company in the USA.
Since 2020, Newsweek has ranked the top 100 US enterprises based on environmental, social and corporate governance indicators. That year, Xylem entered the list at 55 and improved its ranking to 27th in 2021. In 2023, Xylem surged to the second spot, demonstrating the impact of genuinely integrating social and environmental responsibility into business models.
Such integration is crucial because it creates the culture necessary for modern success, says Chetan Mistry, Strategy and Marketing Manager at Xylem Africa:
“We’re very proud and thankful of Newsweek recognising Xylem’s efforts. But there is a bigger message here: focusing on sustainability and responsibility can grow an enterprise’s prospects, performance and bottom line. They don’t need to be opposing forces. Once you actively integrate and promote sustainability themes in your organisation and provide changes for your employees and partners to pursue those themes, you create a responsibility culture that aligns with the business and works naturally within the organisation to create lasting change.”
Newsweek isn’t alone in recognising Xylem’s pursuit of integrated sustainability and responsibility. Barrons, another media heavyweight, ranks Xylem 13th in its list of the most responsible companies. These accolades don’t occur in a vacuum—Xylem continually works to align business and social areas through its partnerships and ESG channels.
Recent developments include:
- Xylem has recently become the 100th member of the International Hydropower Association and signed the association’s San José Declaration recognising hydropower’s essential role in decarbonising the energy system, helping mitigate impacts of climate change, and its ability to complement, integrate and accelerate growth in other renewables.
- Italy and Xylem have entered into a three-year agreement to help improve the performance and sustainability of the Tuscany region’s water systems. This partnership will revolutionise the region’s water supply system from source to tap by transforming water management into an intelligent, responsive, and sustainable operation.
- The African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) and Xylem are collaborating to help address Africa’s water innovation, including technical support and joint projects to promote professional water practices across the continent.
- Watermark, Xylem’s social investment arm and volunteer group, is continually active worldwide, including in South Africa. Recent local examples include building food gardens, providing skill-sharing at schools and marginalised communities, and helping develop agri-entrepreneurs in those communities.
These examples illustrate how business, sustainability, responsibility, and social investment work together. Whether it’s to promote global issues, address specific regional infrastructure and management concerns, collaborate with professional bodies, or bring change to the people on the ground, Xylem’s approach shows that one can combine good business with responsible and sustainable practices.
“I hope our recognition by Newsweek and Barrons help more businesses see the opportunities in sustainability and social investment,” says Mistry. “We want to see other companies dethrone us in these rankings because they found even better ways to support ESG outcomes. Pursuing sustainability and social investment is a healthy race where we all win—not just companies, but the planet and its people.”