A watershed moment for our planet

This month marks the anniversary of my 315-mile swim down the length of the Hudson River, from source to sea. I swam to tell the story of that river’s remarkable 50-year restoration, from one of the world’s most polluted waterways to one that is swimmable for much of its length today.

I heard so many inspiring stories during my time on that river. I had no idea, then, that river stories were poised to dominate the news cycle.

Great transformations

Exactly one year after my Hudson swim, I watched Olympians swimming down the Seine – a river so polluted that for over 100 years it was illegal to swim in it. The transformation of another iconic waterway showed us what political will and investment can bring about.

In the UK the health of our rivers was a high-profile issue in our recent election, and the water regulator is now imposing serious fines against polluting water companies. The issue continues to gather momentum, with a large “March for Clean Water” being planned in Westminster in October.

But transformations work both ways. As I write this, Poland just declared a state of natural emergency as floods swept through towns and villages and destroyed dams and bridges. Similar scenes are playing out in many parts of Central Europe.[1]

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, a severe drought has brought water in the Amazon River to its lowest level in recorded history.[2]

All these are connected by one thing: too much water or too little of it, in a world increasingly prone to extremes.

Moment of reckoning

I believe we have now reached a watershed moment for rivers, and an important milestone in the history of conservation.

Over the next few days, senior global figures from politics, business, civil society and the climate sector will meet at Climate Week NYC – the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together over 600 events and activities across New York.

And over the next three months, the UN will hold conferences to address the three planetary crises: COP29 on climate change, COP16 on nature and biodiversity loss, and another COP16 on desertification.

Most world leaders understand that we are at a moment of reckoning. As next year’s COP30 returns to Rio de Janeiro, where the first UN Earth Summit was held in 1992, the question on everybody’s lips will be: have we done enough?

The role of business

At the end of my swim down the Hudson I delivered a letter to world leaders appealing to them to follow through on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). That landmark agreement pledges to protect 30% of the world’s land, inland waters and oceans by 2030, and to prioritize the restoration and revival of the vital river systems that connect the two.

This is not just a task for nation states; business has a key role to play. As a global investor, LGIM is committed to assessing and addressing water-related risks. I was pleased to see its recent water policy – part of its broader nature framework – which covers water quality and quantity and freshwater and marine water realms. It outlines LGIM’s minimum expectations and its engagement activities. This includes collaborative initiatives to help steward and protect freshwater sources and the marine environment, address concerns with water systems in the UK, and reverse nature and biodiversity loss.

Without foresight and collaboration, we cannot hope to weather the changes ahead of us. But with the dedication of local communities, strong political will and with the right investment, I believe positive outcomes are possible.

During the first part of the Hudson swim, I was trailed by a bald eagle. It reminded me that we are not moved to take action because of numbers on a chart. We are moved by birds spiralling on a thermal, by whales breaching into sunlight, and by polar bears clinging to ice floes for dear life.

[1] BBC, September 2024

[2] BBC, September 2024