WCC News: WCC joins Blue Communities in urging “Water for Life—Not for Profit”

On 10 December, Blue Communities across the world—including the World Council of Churches (WCC)—are urging all levels of government to protect water resources from financial markets and corporate interests.  Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 11 December 2023 This date marks the third anniversary of water being registered in the stock exchange as a tradable commodity. Blue Communities around the world oppose the idea of using water for profit over water for life.  Together, they are launching a webpage, declaring a day of action, and urging decision-makers gathered a COP28 to save water from financial markets.  To become a Blue Community, an institution must officially recognize water and sanitation as a human right, promote public water and wastewater services, and phase out the use and sale of bottled water at events. Since December 2020, water can be traded on the U.S. commodities market—much like oil, gold, or other commodities. Three of the most significant risks associated with water markets include water hoarding, price gouging, and misuse of supplies that should be protected. Blue Communities are supporting national bans on water futures trading, as well as passing national and local legislation to affirm and support water and sanitation as fundamental human rights.  "It's the irony that on 10 December, Human Rights Day, the corporations choose to take away the human rights to water from the poor, as they are able to hoard, speculate, and profit on scarcity of water at the cost of the people who rely on this life-giving resource for their survival,” said Dinesh Suna, coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network.”We must fight back to stop water for profit and embrace water for life. We will also promote this campaign from the ongoing COP28 meetings in Dubai.” Learn more about “Water for Life—Not for Profit” UN OHCHR: Risks and impacts of the commodification and financialization of water on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation WCC's Ecumenical Water Network See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland