Energy saving initiative the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has added water saving to its agenda as it calls on firms globally to reveal how much they consume.

"It's through water that the impact of climate change is going to be felt by businesses, communities and ecosystems," head of the Water Disclosure initiative Marcus Norton tells insurance market Lloyd's of London.

The CDP is now asking more than 300 companies worldwide to disclose their consumption of the fluid, along with any water saving measures they may already have in place.

Lloyd's of London notes figures from McKinsey & Company that predict, by 2030, that the readily available supply of water could drop by 40 per cent in real terms as communities and businesses make greater use of the valuable commodity.

By that time, the CDP reports figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forecasting that 47 per cent of the world's population will be living in areas of water stress.