CSO Insights: Why water is a rising focus in AI, climate and nature conversations

We kick off this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast with key takeaways from COP30, the annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties that ended last week in Belém, Brazil. You can listen to our previous episode about COP30 here . Today's episode features Emilio Tenuta, the Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab, a provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions to businesses around the world. In the interview, Emilio explains the rising focus on water in conversations about climate and nature. "The climate crisis is really about a water crisis: The way we're going to experience climate is through extreme weather events and droughts, floods and a number of other activities that impact our businesses," Emilio says. "But it's also about water being an enabler to drive your business performance and impact." Emilio explains how AI can help companies understand future water risks. "Up to now, we've been looking in a rearview mirror on what water stress really means," he says. "Now we're trying to embed AI so we can look predictively." This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we interview Chief Sustainability Officers around the world and across industries about how they're navigating the changing sustainability landscape. Listen to other episodes in the CSO Insights podcast series: CSO Insights: Why consumer goods giant P&G wants to reinvent the business case for sustainability CSO Insights: How auto giant General Motors is driving EV adoption CSO Insights: Singapore's biggest bank on the 'business imperative' of climate action CSO Insights: How a big Malaysian bank balances climate, nature, human rights and economic inclusion CSO Insights: How sustainability pullback is playing out in Southeast Asia Read coverage of COP30 key takeaways from S&P Global Energy: COP30 in review: Key outcomes (requires subscription) COP30: Support for fossil fuel transition roadmap grows despite 'red line' resistance Register for a Dec. 3, 2025 webinar about COP30 key outcomes: Decoding COP30: Outcomes and the road ahead for climate policy and action Read nature research from S&P Global: Companies around the world face risks from their reliance on nature Listen to our podcast episode featuring Water.org co-founder Gary White: Why Water.org CEO says the world's water challenges are 'inherently solvable' Listen to our podcast episode featuring CDP CEO Sherry Madera: Water, water everywhere in Climate Week NYC conversations Learn about the Global Carbon Markets Conference This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global. Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.