India Collaboration Lab Pairs Businesses with Social Entrepreneurs to Advance Water and Sanitation Projects

(New Delhi, 23 October 2013) – The inaugural India Collaboration Lab: New Alliances for Water and Sanitation – a joint effort of the UN Global Compact, Global Compact Network India and the CEO Water Mandate – convened participants from business, social enterprise, civil society and Government to develop partnerships that advance innovative projects in water access, sanitation hygiene (WASH) and water resources management (WRM).

Concluding today, the two-day Collaboration Lab provided an opportunity for companies to learn about innovations that address their sustainability challenges, and provided social entrepreneurs and NGOs a chance to access resources to scale these innovations. The Lab also highlighted the central role of Global Compact Local Networks in contextualizing and driving sustainability solutions at the local level.  

Key outcomes from the event included:

• Two new social enterprise-corporate partnerships that will deploy water transportation and purification solutions in Orissa State, one of the most water-stressed states in India, and
• Creation of the India Collaboration Lab Consortium, which aims to track the progress of partnerships and projects, provide mentoring and support for partnerships, and to increase engagement within the Lab. The Global Compact Network India will host the Consortium meetings, and plans to expand its work over the next six months.

Day one of the Collaboration Lab was dedicated to the creation of partnership guidelines and included speakers from The Coca-Cola Company, Wello, WWF India and the Government of India. Participants engaged in a series of interactive and output-focused sessions and developed a set of six criteria to guide the development of partnerships.

Nine innovative solutions addressing WASH and WRM challenges in India were introduced in a rapid fire “Innovation Pitch” session, including a project featured on the Social Enterprise Action Hub which allows rural dwellers, particularly women and children, to transport up to five times more water than traditional transport methods. This reduces the number of trips women and children must make to collect water allowing them to apply the time gained to income boosting and educational activities. 

• View India Collaboration Lab Overview and Agenda 
• Learn more about the UN Global Compact’s work on social enterprise
• Visit the Social Enterprise Action Hub

Contact

Rosedel Davies-Adewebi 
Project Manager, Social Enterprise and Impact Investing
UN Global Compact
rdaviesadewebi@unglobalcompact.org