Key Takeaways
- Consumers see water protection as a shared responsibility: Across all global regions, large majorities of consumers agree that companies should actively encourage governments to do more to protect water.
- Expectations are strongest in regions facing acute water stress: Agreement is highest in Africa and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, where water risks are more immediate and visible in daily life.
- Consumers in all regions recognize water as a systemic challenge: Large companies are seen as influential actors with the ability and responsibility to encourage stronger protection when public systems fall short.
Global concern about deteriorating water quality is reflected in strong expectations of corporate leadership in this area. Results from GlobeScan’s latest global consumer research show that consumers may not only be looking at how companies manage their own water use but also expect large companies to leverage their influence to support stronger public protection of water quality. This insight follows last week’s finding that water pollution ranks as the world’s most serious environmental issue according to consumers globally. Together, these findings highlight not only the depth of consumer concern about water quality, but also strong expectations about who should act as water climbs the global policy and business agenda.
Globally, agreement that large companies have a responsibility to encourage governments to do more to protect water reaches exceptionally high levels in every region where consumers were surveyed. In Africa and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, nearly nine in ten consumers agree that companies have a responsibility to put pressure on governments to act, as these are regions where water scarcity, unsafe water, and pollution are more often experienced as direct threats to health, food security, and livelihoods. In Europe and North America, agreement also remains strong but is slightly less intense. This pattern aligns with broader GlobeScan findings showing that consumers in higher-income markets may feel more buffered by infrastructure, regulation, or distance from water stress, even while acknowledging its importance.
Importantly, consumers in all regions appear to recognize water as a systemic challenge that cannot be addressed by public policy in isolation. Large companies are seen as influential actors with the ability and responsibility to encourage stronger protection when public systems fall short.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
These findings again signal strong social license for corporate advocacy on water protection as water issues move higher on the global agenda. For businesses, this points both to an opportunity and a risk. Remaining silent or narrowly focused on internal water efficiency may fall short of consumer expectations, particularly in regions where water stress is most visible. Encouraging stronger public protection can help align corporate action with consumer views of shared responsibility, reinforcing credibility and relevance as water becomes an increasingly defining sustainability issue.
This analysis is based on a representative online survey of 31,960 consumers across 33 markets tracked over time. It draws upon GlobeScan’s extensive global consumer opinion research which spans more than two decades of insights.
Survey Question: For each of the following statements, please indicate if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree. – Large companies have a responsibility to encourage governments to do more to protect water.
Countries surveyed: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, UK, USA, and Vietnam.
