InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the appointment of global water-use experts, the Water Footprint Network, to develop a worldwide water stewardship programme for the hotel group. The announcement comes during the first day of World Water Week and will see IHG and the Water Footprint Network analyse IHG’s water usage in over 100 countries across the world. The partnership will build on the progress IHG is making to reduce water consumption per occupied room in 'water-stressed' areas, one of the company’s 2013-2017 Corporate Responsibility targets. They aim to have reduced water consumption in these areas by 12% by 2017. 2014 figures show that they have currently lowered consumption by 4.2% from the 2012 baseline figure.