Water is the foundation of life on Earth. It covers almost three-quarters of the planet, forms more than half the human body and is even in the air we breathe. Without it, neither we nor the world would survive - our industries would grind to a halt, our food supply chain collapse and our bodies expire within days. It is our most important natural resource.
In this issue of In Control we focus on water. Not only as an industry for which ABB is a global supplier of solutions and expertise, but as a resource to be used sparingly and sustainably so that people’s lives and livelihoods can thrive.
Among the topics we cover are the role of water and municipal utilities in smart cities, the challenges facing the water industry and how ABB solutions can help solve those challenges, a brief overview of our expertise and solutions portfolio and some of our headline references that demonstrate the strength of our skills and technologies, a look at how ABB can help companies achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets for water and wastewater management, and how digitalization is revolutionizing water distribution through leakage detection and event management.
I am delighted to welcome to these pages Peter White, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Peter represents one of the world’s most influential forums on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. His insights into the sustainability challenges the global water industry faces – and the opportunities that arise from those challenges – are illuminating and thought-provoking.
I am equally delighted to introduce Guido Jouret, Chief Digital Officer for ABB. Guido is a pioneer of the Internet of Things and is responsible for the development and deployment of ABB’s digital solutions globally and across all businesses, including water. His knowledge of emerging technologies that could
change the way the world uses water and how the water industry operates is instructive and insightful.
Enjoy your reading.
With kind regards,
Kevin Kosisko
Managing Director
ABB Power Generation & Water