IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world's largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people's well-being. www.iucn.orgThe Overseas Development Institute (ODI) is the UK's leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues.ODI's mission is to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing countries. It does this by locking together high quality applied research, practical policy advice, and policy-focused dissemination and debate. It works with partners in the public and private sectors, in both developing and developed countries.ODI has more than 230 staff, including researchers, communicators and specialist support staff who provide highquality research, policy advice, consultancy services and tailored training -bridging the gap between research and policy and using innovative communication to mobilise audiences. www.odi.org @IUCN_Water @IUCN @ODIdevJames Dalton is a member of the IUCN global water team based in IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. As an international organisation, IUCN has experience of working with several corporates (e.g. food and nutrition; cement and mining, global energy companies) in collaborative projects. Its motivation in sponsoring and taking part in this study has been the interest in developing a deeper understanding of what motivates businesses to engage, especially in water management beyond the 'factory fence'.Peter newborne is Research Associate to the ODI water policy programme which carries out applied research in water policy and practice, including recent studies of private sector involvement in relation to water, both water resources management-WRM (at river/aquifer) (e.g. Newborne and Mason, 2012) and water supply, sanitation and hygiene-WASH (taps/toi...