With its Clean Water Foundation, Georg Fischer has been working since 2002 on projects to improve water supply in developing countries and disaster areas. Since then, GF has injected over CHF 5 million into the Foundation and has thus funded the implementation of more than 60 projects in 40 countries on four continents.

2008 CHF 530,000 was approved for seven projects. GF continues to support the Foundation with a considerable contribution every year.

Award from Kofi Annan

The Swiss NGO Helvetas received the Energy Globe Award from former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The jury, under its chairwoman, the Indian politician Maneka Gandhi, selected the Helvetas drinking water project from among 853 projects. Together with the local population, Helvetas is building and repairing village wells in Mozambique and helping to bring about more hygienic conditions. The project has ensured access to clean drinking water for more than one million people. Georg Fischer has on several occasions supported this model project with considerable sums from the Clean Water Foundation.

Solidarity with earthquake victims in China

The serious earthquake that shook Sichuan on 12 May 2008 cost some 70,000 lives. The natural disaster also affected GF employees. GF has a production site in the town of Dujiangyan, which is located near the quake’s epicentre. The management of Chinaust, a joint venture of Georg Fischer and the Lingyun Group, committed immediate aid of 100,000 renminbi (RMB), or almost 15,000 Swiss francs, within two days of the earthquake. Local GF companies initiated appeals for donations and collected over 60,000 Swiss francs in China. The Corporation doubled this amount. Although the staff of Chinaust themselves had to rely on outside help, they tackled the reconstruction efforts with a will: just a week after the quake, they were supplying their customers with fittings and piping to repair water and gas mains and ensure the supply of drinking water.