AlterCOP30: Water in a Warming World, From Crisis to Stewardship

At AlterCOP30 in Brisbane, Australia, we explored one of the most urgent and interconnected challenges of our time: water in a warming world. The theme, Too Little, Too Much, Too Dirty, captures the extremes we face as climate change reshapes our relationship with water.

Insights and reflections

I’ve worked with communities, businesses, and project teams across Australia to tackle environmental challenges and build resilience in the face of climate change. My passion is making sustainability practical, turning complex climate and ESG requirements into strategies that actually work on the ground.

Water is the thread that runs through every sustainability challenge. Whether it’s too little, too much, or too dirty, climate change is intensifying water-related risks, and we need to respond with clarity, collaboration, and courage.

Why Scarcity Is the Pivot Point

Among the extremes, scarcity — “too little” — is the most urgent challenge. When water is limited, the question becomes not just about hydrology, but about who gets access, under what rules, and with what protections. Scarcity exposes the deepest inequities, and without clear governance frameworks, strong regulation, and ESG accountability, vulnerable communities are left behind and ecosystems collapse.

Scarcity also amplifies the other extremes:

• When water is scarce, pollution becomes more concentrated (too dirty).
• When floods occur, the lack of resilient planning makes them more devastating (too much).
• Addressing scarcity through governance and ESG frameworks is the foundation for tackling the whole spectrum of water challenges.

Foundations for Action

To move from crisis to stewardship, we need:

• Equity First – Governance must ensure fair and transparent access to water. Strong Regulation, Clear rules and enforcement to prevent conflict and protect vulnerable communities.
• ESG Accountability – Businesses and investors held responsible for sustainable water use and reporting.
• Climate Resilience – Adaptive planning to manage all extremes.
• Integrated Solutions – Combining innovation, equity, and long-term planning.

Resilience Starts Locally

In agriculture and community water programs, resilience improves when governance frameworks empower communities — giving them a voice in allocation decisions and access to transparent data. Policies that integrate community knowledge with science and climate projections create solutions that are both technically sound and socially legitimate. ESG principles remind us that equity must be measured and reported, not assumed.

Building Community Capacity

Communities often fill the gaps during floods or droughts, but community capital can’t be the safety net forever. Policy needs to institutionalise community capacity, by resourcing local organisations, embedding them in governance structures, and ensuring long-term support. ESG frameworks can help by requiring businesses and governments to invest in resilience partnerships, not just emergency responses.

The key is to shift from reactive reliance on communities to proactive collaboration.

Bridging the Disconnect

The biggest disconnect is between policy frameworks and lived community realities. Technical solutions often exist, but governance doesn’t always translate them into equitable outcomes. Bridging this gap means embedding community voices into policy design and holding institutions accountable through ESG reporting. When regulation reflects both science and social experience, resilience becomes real rather than theoretical.

Circular Water Futures

Australia is still largely operating in a linear mindset, extract, use, dispose. But climate pressures and ESG accountability are pushing us toward circularity. We see readiness in pockets, through recycled water schemes, decentralised energy-water systems, and community innovation, but scaling requires policy incentives and regulatory certainty. Circular approaches must be normalised, not treated as pilot projects.

The Role of Young People and Storytelling

Young people and communities bring credibility and urgency. Their stories make water challenges tangible shifting the narrative from abstract crisis to lived experience. Policy and ESG frameworks can amplify these voices by embedding storytelling into consultation and reporting. When communities see themselves as stewards, not victims, the national narrative moves toward resilience and shared responsibility.

Why do they bring credibility? Because they are living it now. They are growing up with rapid climate changes and have learned to adapt where older generations have not. They play a critical role as stewards in changing the narrative.

Equity and Inclusion

Access to water is not equal, women, Indigenous groups, and vulnerable communities often carry the greatest burden when water is scarce or polluted. To advance equity:

• Embed social inclusion as a core principle, not an afterthought.
• Ensure gender-sensitive planning and representation in decision-making.
• Report transparently through ESG frameworks.
• Climate resilience is inseparable from social justice, if water policy doesn’t advance equity, it fails its purpose.

Behavioural Change That Matters

The most impactful shift? Treat water as a shared, finite resource, not an unlimited utility.

At home: conscious consumption and investment in efficiency.

At work: embed water stewardship into ESG reporting and operational decisions.

If every household and business saw water as part of their climate and energy footprint, resilience would move from being a government responsibility to a collective practice.

One Final Thought

Treat water as a shared, finite resource, whether at home, in business, or in policy. That means consuming consciously, embedding water stewardship into ESG practices, and advocating for governance that prioritises equity and resilience.

If every decision tomorrow reflects water as part of our climate and energy footprint, we move from crisis management to stewardship.

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