Earthwatch contributes by leading research projects that advance our understanding of climate change, urbanisation and the water cycle. Within this, HSBC employees are engaged to further their understanding of environmental issues and science, exploring how these link to sustainability.
From 2012-2016, more than 8,000 HSBC employees participated in FreshWater Watch, a global Earthwatch citizen science project monitoring water quality. The programme spanned 36 countries, six continents and 2,500 ecosystems; ultimately generating 17,000 data points that would have taken scientists alone 11 years to complete. The far reaching impacts of the programme have most notably influenced policy makers and water management solutions.