Pulmuone’s Sustainable Water Management Program
 

 

In support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we have established a company-wide policy on sustainable water resource management. According to the policy and targets specified in the SDGs, we set reasonable levels of water intake and action plans for each business site and local community. 

Pulmuone's water management program is broadly comprised of water risk management programs to reduce water withdrawals and programs to improve waste-water quality and minimize environmental impacts. We actively work to ensure that all stakeholders have access to safe and sustainable water resources, not only at our sites and neighborhoods, but also in the community at large. 

 

[Pulmuone’s Commitment to Water for ‘Wholesome Foods’]

 

1. Pulmuone’s Target to Reduce water Use 

 

Pulmuwon has set a target of reducing its water use by 1% per year by 2035. We worked on reducing water consumption by setting a water intensity target of 6.01 m³/product ton in 2023. As a result, we succeeded in achieving a water intensity of 5.43m³/product ton, a reduction of 10.5% compared to 2022. 

 

[Pulmuone's Waste Management Target]

 

2. Pulmuone’s Water Resource Risk Management  

 

Pulmuone annually analyzes the physical and regulatory risks of its water resources and develops risk reduction activities and plans based on these. When assessing physical risks, we use the WRI Aqueduct and WWF Water Risk tools, and analyze the variability of water supply, water contaminants in the surrounding area, and uncertainties in policies in consideration of water use rates and future conditions. 

To reduce regulatory risk, we also strictly manage the quality of wastewater from our operations that is discharged into the water system after wastewater treatment by monitoring the quality of waste-water in real time and conducting annual in-depth inspections. We are also improving our water and wastewater facilities, including securing a water quality management budget to drive capital investments in preparation for increased regulation. 
Annual water risk assessments are conducted at all business sites to monitor water-related risks and on the vulnerability of local ecosystems where we operate our business for proper actions.

Our partners are also involved in water risk management. We conduct surveys, PFSMS assessments, etc. to manage water risks in our supply chain. For high-risk suppliers, we identify current and future water risk levels by examining the amount of water withdrawal and discharge by water source, discharge method, water pollutants in waste-water, specific water hazardous substances, and the frequency of monitoring and plans to change water sources. In addition, we utilize the PFSMS Assessment Tool to continuously monitor and support the improvement of water resource non-conformities of our business partners, as well as to check thecompliance with related environmental regulations (such as the Water Conservation Act and the Waste Management Act) and environmental impact of effluents dicharge. 

 

Risk management measures taken based on Pulmuone's water risk assessment is shared with stakeholders every year, and the results of the 2023 assessment can be found on p.43~44 of the Integrated Report 2023.

 

3. Collective action for Pulmuone's Water Commitment
 

Pulmuone is collaborating with various external associations and stakeholders, including the local community, to further spread its water commitment. On April 6, 2021, Pulmuone Waters became the first spring water company in Korea to obtain the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification, being recognized for its ability to sustainably manage water operations. AWS is a global organization constituted of companies, non-profit organizations, public agencies, and educational institutions with the common goal of promoting the responsible use of freshwater to benefit everyone in social, economical, and environmental dimensions. By being certified by AWS, we are recognized for our interest in the sustainability of water resources and our commitment to protecting them. We are in the process of renewing our AWS certification in 2024 to demonstrate our continued stewardship.

 

[Pulmuone's AWS Certification]