Both summer temperatures and the Euribor reached historic highs in July 2023, with the hottest month on record accompanied by the reference interest rate closing at 4.15% before beginning a slow decline in August. Beyond Europe, drought also afflicted Latin America, as the Panama Canal operator cut cargo ship capacity by 11.00% due to water levels being at their lowest since 2015. Meanwhile, energy price fluctuations continue due to the war in Ukraine, with OPEC’s basket price up 18.00% to almost US$90/barrel. Facing these market shocks and ongoing uncertainty, governments, investors, and industrial firms must embed flexibility and versatility into their water sector strategies.
As municipalities, regulators, and vendors coexist globally in both emerging and mature markets, Bluefield’s team of water experts tracks changes in business strategies, technology adoptions, infrastructure investments, and policies to measure the implications for global market outlooks and forecasts.
In this Quarterly Review:
- Reuse gains emphasis in Asia-Pacific
- Anglian Water addresses sewer challenges with advanced digital solution
- Multiple large-scale, new acquisitions came to fruition heading into the third quarter of 2023
- Europe inches toward consensus on water sustainability measures with increased focus on reuse
