February 23, 2008--Blue is the new green: How water is becoming the next coveted commodity (Financial Post)
The United Nations estimates that 1.1 billion people lack access to potable water and that by 2050 that figure will double to more than two billion. Add climate change to the mix and the predictions of water shortage become more dire. So it's not surprising that when it comes to investment trends, blue is the new green. But just how far will countries go in privatizing -- and commoditizing -- water assets and how will it affect both investors and consumers? Craig Donohue, chief executive of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, hinted back in October that water may become commoditized and traded as a futures contract. That prediction has not yet materialized, but Benjamin Tal, analyst at CIBC World Markets, believes the private sector will play an increasingly larger role in water delivery.
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