It is easy for many of us to take water for granted. It is always there, flowing from the tap, chilling in the fridge, ready to fill our bottles at the push of a button. Through my work with Water.org as a board member, I’ve come to recognize a very different reality.
Today, 1 in 4 people worldwide don’t have access to clean water. That’s more than the combined population of the United States and China.
Water and climate are deeply intertwined. Droughts, extreme weather, and rising temperatures all contribute to water scarcity, while outdated water systems and deforestation-driven water collection methods drive up greenhouse gas emissions. We can only break this vicious cycle by tackling both issues together. That’s precisely what Water.org and Rubicon Carbon are working together to accomplish - breaking the cycle to drive scalable impact.
As Chief Product Officer at Rubicon Carbon, I take great pride in the diversified, risk-adjusted carbon credit portfolios we curate for our clients. Our impact also goes beyond carbon reduction and removal. In 2024, we helped more than 1,900 people gain lasting access to clean water and sanitation via donations to Water.org. Every customer purchase involving UN SDG 6 projects (clean water and sanitation) will trigger a donation that helps people gain water access.
On the flip side, Water.org is also leading by example, offsetting its own operational carbon footprint. By utilizing a customized portfolio of high-integrity credits from Rubicon Carbon, Water.org ensures their work doesn’t contribute to the very crisis they’re fighting.
When we think about tackling climate change, carbon emissions are often the first thing that comes to mind, yet the fight against climate change is also a fight for water security. By integrating carbon markets with water access, we’re demonstrating how market-driven, impact-oriented solutions can deliver tangible benefits for both people and the planet. Fighting climate change is more than emission reduction and removal. It is also about building a world where everyone can access the resources they need to thrive.
And that starts with water.