Bloomberg reduces 2013 water target as initial goal ‘too aggressive’

Global business and financial information provider Bloomberg has reduced its 2013 water reduction target by 6.3 million gallons after the company concluded that the initial goal was 'too aggressive'.


The information provider’s initial target was to reduce water use by 15 million gallons by 2013 against 2007 levels. However, after reviewing its operations, Bloomberg determined that this goal was not realistic.

“We discovered our data center cooling tower operations had already incorporated optimal water-conservation techniques, and in the majority of Bloomberg offices, we are tenants in large buildings with limited authority to make significant water-reduction investments,” the company’s 2012 sustainability report stated.

Because of this, the company realigned its water reduction strategy to fit with the capability of its operations. It said that there is “still room for improvement” and the company now expects to cut 8.7 million gallons, approximately 9%, of its water consumption by year-end 2013.

The new target will be met through retrofitting bathrooms in major offices with low-flow fixtures, more-efficient toilets and waterless urinals.

It will also implement water-reduction technologies in all new or refurbished offices where water fixtures are included in the project scope.

“We have installed low-flow fixtures in San Francisco, London (38 Finsbury and Parkhouse), Dubai, Skillman, NJ, Building 101, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, Seoul and Singapore. These water-conservation technologies are projected to save approximately 30% against traditional fixtures,” the report states.

“In many cases we also include signage highlighting these efforts to increase employee education and awareness of water conservation,” it continues.

The company’s sustainability report also shows that in 2012 Bloomberg improved its emissions intensity by 30%, primarily from energy reduction and efficiency efforts implemented over the last five years in its buildings and IT equipment.

Reporting on its waste, the company achieved a 38% waste-to-landfill reduction from 2011, and a 50% reduction from 2007, due primarily to its move to zero-landfill, waste-to-energy disposal of all its waste in both New York City and London.

Bloomberg’s CEO and president, Daniel L. Doctoroff, said: “Since launching our sustainability program in 2007, we’ve completed more than 350 individual sustainability projects, improved our emissions intensity by 30% and halved our carbon footprint. Even more exciting, we’ve saved $43m [£28m] in the process”.

Leigh Stringer

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