CASE STUDY 7 Rockwell Automation and The Water Council driving SME water and energy innovation for a more sustainable supply chain Challenge Nearly 90% of the effects of climate change translate into water issues such as scarcity and flooding. Water and energy are intricately connected, and on the journey to decarbonization, SMEs, making up the backbone of supply chains, are often left behind to explore viable solutions. Solution The Water Council, in partnership with Rockwell Automation and additional companies, non-profits, universities and utilities, is leading the development of the Water + Energy Forward Engine (W+E Forward). This is part of a programme authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act in the United States, which invested over $200 billion, including funding to spur regional tech hubs and innovation clusters. W+E Forward facilitates the development of water and energy technologies for small and medium-sized manufacturers and utilities, advancing innovations from research to development, commercialization and adoption. Initial efforts target food, beverage, paper and pulp manufacturing, focusing on waste-to-energy, water and energy efficiency, and smart systems for decarbonization while improving productivity. W+E Forward also addresses workforce development and innovative financing to support SMEs in adopting these technologies. Impact W+E Forward has grown to nearly 60 partners with an estimated $21 million in committed resources. In addition to funding, these partners contribute to facilities, research and expertise. In May 2023, the initiative received a $1 million Development Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The technologies created help SMEs grow, reduce costs, increase water and energy efficiency, and accelerate the net-zero journey while meeting their supply chain requirements. The initiative has created stronger links between academia, small business, industry, non-profits and government and is transitioning from planning to implementation phase in 2025-2026, where it will begin to demonstrate its full impact. Source: Consultation with Rockwell Automation. United for Net Zero: Public-Private Collaboration to Accelerate Industry Decarbonization 20

United for Net Zero Public Private Collaboration to Accelerate Industry Decarbonization 2025