The high temperatures of May and the forecasts of summer months that are once again warmer than usual, remind us of the imminent risk of exceeding the global warming threshold of 1.5 °C this century. Therefore, today, World Environment Day, it is very appropriate to remember the UN Environment global campaign under the motto #PorElClimaNow. In this emergency context, citizens demonstrate that collective action to change course begins with daily decisions and sustainable solutions, such as the way we consume our water resources.
One of the great milestones of this citizen awareness is the consolidation of tap water as the most ecological option. The data extracted from Aqualia’s IX Sustainable Behavior Barometer prepared through its Sosteniblometro, referring to the period December 9 – May 21, reveal the population’s commitment and will to adopt new habits, which are even completely integrated.
The Barometer highlights that 67% of those surveyed already prefer tap water to bottled water, increasing the annual variation by 4 points. In addition, 69% say they order tap water in restaurants, more than fifteen percentage points more than the previous consultation of 54.5%.
Likewise, 100% of the people consulted check that the taps in their home are in good condition and do not leak water and state that they are sustainable in their use if they go to a hotel; In addition, 93% do not throw wet wipes in the toilet and 92% only put the dishwasher in when it is full.
In the face of climate change, good daily habits
The data extracted from the Sosteniblometro show that citizens are already contributing to climate action, taking on essential daily gestures to contribute to the reduction of emissions and the care of resources. In this sense, 100% of those surveyed say they let their clothes dry in the open air instead of using the dryer; 75% share a car to go to work and 72% have already replaced all light bulbs with LED systems.
However, there is still room for improvement. Only 37% say that before the hot water comes out in the shower, they have a basin on hand to collect it and use it later and still 31% of the people surveyed say they rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Furthermore, only 50% say they have requested receipt of invoices online instead of on paper.
The analysis of Aqualia’s Sustainability Meter also offers a ranking of the most sustainable provinces as they are those that present the best weighting between their participation and correct answers, which translates into good practices. In this last consultation, Cuenca, Madrid, Salamanca and A Coruña are at the top, followed by Asturias and Almería. The measurement data for greater or lesser sustainability is the index obtained from the relationship between the scores (sostenipoints) and the number of participants from each province.
Indicators to improve
The I Barometer was launched in June 2022 and, since then, Aqualia has periodically published the results of this study to inform and encourage citizens to continue measuring their level of sustainability in their daily habits.
The tool, a simple 5-question test available on the sosteniblometro.com website, has collected responses from more than 15,966 participants since its launch in January 2022. In addition, once the test is completed, you automatically obtain the result on how sustainable you are in your daily life and information on what habits can be corrected and how to do it with tips to do them daily.
The Aqualia Sustainability Meter is the first measure of sustainable behaviors and habits for citizens and, as such, provides information of interest on the actions that citizens have more or less acquired in their daily lives in terms of responsible and sustainable behavior.
Aqualia highlights that water is fundamental for development and can be an engine of change to promote a more just society, one of the challenges of the 2030 Agenda.