On October 1st, members of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and the French-American Foundation gathered at FACC member restaurant Petrossian for a luncheon discussion with Bertrand Camus, CEO of Suez Environnement and United Water.

Opening the discussion, Anne Serewicz, Vice-President and Treasurer of the FACC Executive Committee, introduced Mr. Camus and provided information on his professional background, including a notable career at Suez Environnement, Aguas Argentinas and the Banque Nationale de Paris.

Mr. Camus began his remarks with an overview of Suez Environnement, a world leader in the water and waste management business with a presence on five continents. With innovative solutions, the company supplies drinking water to 76 million people and wastewater services to 44 million people around the world. A true example of corporate social responsibility, Suez is committed to energy and the environment, as well as to taking on the challenges posed by global warming and resource depletion.

Turning to the importance of water as a critical global resource, Mr. Camus explained that the distribution of water is uneven. Indeed, only ten countries share 60% of natural fresh water resources. Coupled with climate change, this lack of resource management could worsen the disparity. Mr. Camus emphasized the need to balance the quality, quantity and accessibility of water globally. To achieve this goal, regional solutions are needed.

Mr. Camus outlined the challenges facing the supply of clean water today. With an anticipated population of 9.2 billion people by 2050, representing an increase of 40%, the pressure on water supply will worsen. Urbanization will also create a strain on clean water. Just over half of today’s global population lives in cities; urban population is expected to almost double between now and 2050.

Calling it an “explosive situation”, Mr. Camus explained that global warming is another important challenge facing us today. As average temperatures climb and extreme weather events occur (including heat waves, wildfires and tropical storms), earth is already showing signs of worldwide climate change. Mr. Camus suggested that global warming could lead to large-scale food and water shortages, as well as increased global conflict over these limited resources.

Mr. Camus closed his remarks by stating that solutions do exist. Government policy and regulation by public authorities is needed to best manage the water debate. As evidenced by the activities of the Environmental Protection Agency, and specifically the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, steps can be taken.

Before taking questions, Mr. Camus concluded on an optimistic note, suggesting that these challenges, while difficult, have significantly encouraged global environmental awareness.

The FACC thanks Bertrand Camus for his participation in this event.