Ecolab Commits to the United Nations Global Compact and CEO Water Mandate

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL), the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, has joined the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr., also endorsed the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, furthering the company’s commitment to sustainable water policies and practices.

“The CEO Water Mandate aligns with Ecolab’s efforts to advance sustainable water solutions around the world through our partnerships with our customers, nongovernmental organizations, suppliers and other groups to help ensure sustainable water management.”

“The ten principles of the UN Global Compact align with Ecolab’s values regarding human rights, fair labor practices, environmental protection and anti-corruption,” said Baker. “The CEO Water Mandate aligns with Ecolab’s efforts to advance sustainable water solutions around the world through our partnerships with our customers, nongovernmental organizations, suppliers and other groups to help ensure sustainable water management.”

The UN Global Compact was created in 2000 as part of the United Nation’s efforts to increase support of the Millennium Development Goals. More than 8,700 companies around the world are now participants.

The CEO Water Mandate is a public-private initiative under the UN Global Compact designed to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of sustainable water policies and practices. More than 80 Global Compact participants have endorsed the CEO Water Mandate.

“Ecolab’s vision is to help provide and protect what is vital: clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. We recognize that water scarcity is a critical global issue that affects millions of people daily, and our technologies and services help our customers protect and conserve water within their operations,” Baker said in his CEO Water Mandate endorsement letter to UN Secretary General H.E. Ban Ki-moon.

About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. For more news and information about Ecolab, visit www.ecolab.com.

About United Nations Global Compact
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices. As a multi-stakeholder leadership initiative, it seeks to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and to catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With 7,000 corporate signatories in 135 countries, it is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. Visit www.unglobalcompact.org.

About United Nations CEO Water Mandate
Launched by the UN Secretary-General in July 2007, the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate is a unique public-private initiative designed to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of water sustainability policies and practices. Visit ceowatermandate.org.

(ECL-C)