Mayor Kate Gallego has been named Public Sector Co-chair of the 50 Liter Home Coalition (50L Home), a collaborative of private, public, and civic leaders who aim to reinvent the future of urban water use through innovations that reduce carbon emissions and promote water security for all. The announcement came during today’s COP26 sessions, which featured Mayor Gallego and IKEA Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer leading a discussion on how cities can address multi-system challenges around water security.
“Our members and partners in the 50L Home Coalition envision a future where water efficiency and zero-carbon living are an irresistible aspiration for all,” said Braulio Eduardo Morera, Director of the 50L Home Coalition. “To achieve such an ambitious target, it is essential we engage with cities and communities and listen to their leaders. We are delighted Mayor Kate Gallego has accepted our Coalition’s invitation to be our Public Sector Chair. Her vision for Phoenix as a desert community that prioritizes sustainable growth will be a north star for our work; together we will innovate new water and energy solutions, learn from global best practices, and share what Phoenicians have learned.”
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“Just as we have led in innovations like cool pavement, we will continue to find new solutions to address water scarcity and drought,” said Mayor Gallego. “I look forward to my role as Co-chair and piloting programs cities around the world have designed, so we can demonstrate the results, and lessons learned, and share them widely. The breakthroughs will become the standard practices of the future.”
The 50L Home Coalition is a global action-oriented platform that unites leaders from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors to address two of the world’s most pressing challenges: water security and climate change. This global collaboration aims to transform the way we use water and energy at home, and change the narrative on domestic water consumption by making a water- efficient lifestyle – one where each person uses 50 liters of water per day – both attainable and irresistible. In selecting Mayor Gallego as Public Sector Chair, the Coalition noted her strong environmental leadership, driven by a desire to keep Phoenix a frontrunner in sustainability.
The 50L Home was inspired by Cape Town’s response to a major drought and the looming prospect of a ‘Day-Zero’ in 2017 and 2018 – the day the city would be forced to turn off water service to all citizens. Cape Town residents had to significantly reduce their water use at home to only 50 liters per person per day. Many cities all over the world are facing a similar threat of Day Zero conditions due to severe water scarcity, while millions of urban dwellers still don’t have access to safe drinking water in their homes.
“As a desert city, Phoenix is a living lab for water and energy innovation, with an essential need to make the most of every drop. The work we do now will inform the lives of the next generation, including my son,” said Mayor Gallego. “I want them to experience a verdant, vital world that has recovered from its most serious threat.”
Launched on October 27, 2020, the 50L Home Coalition is supported by an emerging group of global private partners – including Electrolux, Engie, IKEA, Kohler, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Suez, and Arcadis. It was convened by the World Economic Forum, 2030 Water Resources Group, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Mayor Gallego joins private sector co-chair Shailesh Jejurikar, Chief Operating Officer of P&G. The Public Sector Co-Chair role represents non-governmental organization, international governmental organizations, as well as other government or other interested groups that join the 50L Home initiative.
50L Home was selected by the World Economic Forum as one of its Lighthouse Projects in 2020. Lighthouse Projects exemplify the ways in which stakeholders are making concrete progress to address the pressing societal, economic, environmental, technology, regional and industry challenges of our time. In May 2021, 50L Home was recognized by Fast Company as an Honorable Mention in the General Excellence category of its 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards.
Phoenix, often the subject of urban water use questions, is the fifth largest city in the United States. With a population of 1.7 million, it is also the fastest growing city in the nation. For more information about Phoenix and services available through the city, visit phoenix.gov.
