At the high-level European Commission roundtable on water and finance held on March 28,2025, Magdalena Rzeczkowska, Chair of Water Europe’s Expert Group on Water & Finance, emphasized essential steps required to attract investment in water resilience and sustainability.
Rzeczkowska outlined key recommendations:
– Integrate water into the EU Sustainable Finance Framework, including the EU Taxonomy and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
– Launch an EU Water Investment Gap Analysis, mirroring successful analyses performed for clean energy sectors.
– Mobilize private-sector investment through Green & Blue Bonds, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and outcome-based financing models.
– Accelerate scaling of innovative water technologies, closing the gap between innovation and widespread deployment.
– Utilize the interconnected Water-Energy-Climate Nexus to unlock capital aligned with sustainability goals.
“Investment starts with clarity,” highlighted Rzeczkowska. She underlined that reliable and shared data on sustainable water availability and usage are essential for attracting confident investments. To address this, Water Europe advocates for the creation of a European Water Accounting Framework – a critical step discussed at the roundtable on water and industrial competitiveness.
Rzeczkowska also emphasized the importance of viewing water not merely as a factor of resilience but as a key driver of productivity. Investing strategically in water systems, infrastructure, and technologies will enable European industries to grow sustainably and competitively.
“Without blue finance, there is no green finance,” concluded Rzeczkowska, reinforcing the crucial role of water finance in Europe’s broader sustainability ambitions.
