Procter & Gamble has one of the most impressive portfolios of leadership brands in the world. This giant corporation has employees in close to 80 countries and holds some of the most famous brands like Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper® or Pantene®. This giant company advocates their desire to improve the daily lives of their customers with efficient products. On its website the company advocates the importance of long-term sustainable environmental and social initiatives. Their social commitment is a strong asset and an added value to the company’s image. One of their most interesting initiatives is perhaps the creation of an organization that can give the opportunity to entire populations in developing countries to have access to clean quality water. More children die from diarrheal illness like cholera than from much more “serious” problems such as HIV/AIDS. These useless deaths need to be prevented and clean water should be the right of every child on the planet.
In 2004, in collaboration with various organizations, P&G created the Children’s Safe Drinking Water programs (CSDW), that helps raise awareness around the globe about the importance of having access to quality drinking water. The famous corporation reminded the whole world that often water scarcity is the trigger to a whole set of other problems such as diseases, health problems, malnutrition and agricultural impediments. This initiative is part of P&G’s larger philanthropic program called Live, Learn and Thrive TM initiative. According to the official website of the initiative, P&G is “committed to improving the lives of people around the globe, saving children’s lives and providing clean drinking water to as many people as possible” (Source: http://www.csdw.org/csdw/csdw_program.shtml). Up to now, the corporation declares it has invested more than $25 million toward clean drinking water. Procter & Gamble has teamed up with organization like the International Council of Nurses or the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs to distribute PUR packets to individuals who need it the most in developing countries or emergency situations.
The PUR packet was developed by P&G in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) and it is “an amazing innovation that quickly turns 10 liters of dirty, potentially deadly water into clean and drinkable water” (Source: http://www.csdw.org/csdw/pur_packet.shtml). The packets contain a powder that is able to remove pathogenic microorganisms in order to render the contaminated water clean. According to the official website, the packets are able to remove more than 99.99999% of bacteria and various types of viruses. This product has been sold to various organization and NGOs, for instance the International Rescue Committee has bought enough PUR packets to deliver close to 3.5. million liters of drinkable water for the people in Iraq. Disaster relief is a very important part of the company’s corporate social responsibility commitment that often start with providing clean water, a basic element for the survival of entire population. According to the official website of the organization, the program has “delivered over 1.6 billion liters of clean drinking water and they are committed to delivering four billion liters by 2012” (Source: http://www.csdw.org/csdw/csdw_program.shtml). In addition to this valid water initiative, P&G has set five strategies for sustainable in order to achieve a list of set goals by 2012.
One of their most ambitious goals so far is to enable 300 million children to have a better life, which starts with preventing around 160 million days of disease and saving 20, 000 lives by delivering 4 billion liters of clean water. This goal seems somewhat outstanding and so far the progress made since 2007 comprehend a total of 135 million children reached and close to 930 million liters of clean water were delivered. (Source: http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/strategy_goals_progress.shtml). These numbers are indicative a successful start only time will tell if such ambitious goals can be reached. The importance and validity of this cause seems to be appreciated at the international level since in 2007, the CSDW received the Ron brown US Presidential Award for Corporate Citizenship, the United Nations Association Global Leadership Award. In addition in 2005, the program was also awarded the Stockholm Industry Water Award.
Reconciling business requirements with corporate social responsibility has become a must for small firms and large corporations. The Children’s Safe Drinking Water Programs have the ambitious goal to provide clean water to all of them who need it. The innovative PUR packet is able to rapidly transform polluted and often deadly water into clean potable water. This mechanism needs to be promoted at an international level and to be further developed since it could save the life of entire population especially in crisis situation.
