CBRE & Ecolab: Water Efficiency in Commercial Real Estate

CBRE is entering a collaboration with Ecolab to enhance water efficiency across its commercial real estate portfolio.

The partnership is designed to help clients reduce water waste and operational costs, moving CBRE closer to its own sustainability targets.

As a global real estate services and investment company, CBRE maintains more than 500 offices supporting clients in over 100 countries.

It blends proprietary technology with data and market intelligence to inform client real estate decisions.

Ecolab is a global company focused on water hygiene and infection prevention solutions. It applies science-based solutions and data-driven insights to optimise water conservation and maintain clean environments.

The partnership aims to set higher standards for water efficiency and quality within commercial real estate.

Addressing water consumption in real estate

Water is a critical component of building operations, particularly for facilities like data centres and advanced manufacturing plants.

CBRE manages a network of properties nearing eight billion square feet globally. According to CBRE estimates, these properties consume over 100 billion gallons of water each year.

Through its partnership with Ecolab, CBRE intends to reduce water usage, improve water quality and enhance operational performance.

"We are focused on creating value for our clients by solving their biggest sustainability challenges, and water is increasingly important, especially in sectors like data centres, life sciences and advanced manufacturing," explains Rob Bernard, Chief Sustainability Officer at CBRE.

Rob adds: "The combined expertise and scale of CBRE and Ecolab create an advantage for companies in addressing their end-to-end water needs and have the potential to transform water use in the industry."

A holistic approach to water management

By joining forces, CBRE's clients gain access to Ecolab's water technologies alongside CBRE's real estate services.

This could provide clients with a holistic water management solution, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs by lowering water consumption.

The collaboration is intended to unlock value within the supply chain through improved sustainability measures.

Ecolab serves millions of customer locations in more than 170 countries, offering resources and knowledge to support efficient operations and business growth through water conservation. Ecolab’s programmes have a track record of delivering measurable results.

In 2024 alone, according to Ecolab, its initiatives helped customers save 226 billion gallons of water, reduce 4.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and conserve 65 trillion BTUs of energy.

Water efficiency as a performance lever

The financial impact of these sustainability efforts is notable. Ecolab reports that it delivered US$9.1 billion in cumulative value in 2024, suggesting that sustainable solutions can coexist with business development.

The partnership between CBRE and Ecolab is positioned to help clients achieve similar outcomes by optimising their water usage.

"Water is central to operational impact and profitable growth for many businesses," adds Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab.

He adds: "In manufacturing, up to 75% of energy flows through water systems—making water efficiency a powerful lever for climate resilience and business performance. Through our partnership with CBRE, we're working to help clients unlock value through smarter operations, improved efficiency and measurable impact."

Given that every company depends on water for some aspect of its operations, this collaboration offers a pathway for CBRE's clients to create a positive environmental impact while pursuing business growth.