About the data
The WBA Nature Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to protect the environment and its biodiversity, tracking how companies are reducing their negative impacts on nature and contributing to the protection and restoration of ecosystems, aligned with the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework. The 2026 edition assessed 750 companies across multiple sectors including agro-food, forestry, building, tourism and the blue economy. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and partners including GRI, SBTN, and TNFD, with a methodology designed to incentivise companies to understand where nature-related risks are highest and act to halt damaging trends, while keeping human rights and social impacts at its core.
More information can be found here.
More information can be found here.
Methodology
Approximately 80% of global wastewater is untreated when released back into the
environment, causing significant negative effects on both ecosystem functioning and human health
(IUCN, 2017). Water pollution not only degrades freshwater sources, contributing to the global water
crisis, but also threatens biodiversity. As industrial activities are a major contributor to water pollution,
companies have a responsibility to implement more effective and transparent wastewater treatment
and pollution control measures.The company must either:
Have a policy stating that the company has conducted social impact assessments associated with its water use or pollution risks across substantial operations, or
Provide at least a high-level summary of a social risk or impact assessment for its most material operations or value chain impacts.
Evidence of having conducted a risk or impact assessment for their most material sites can include:
disclosing the actual or potential negative impacts stemming from its water use or pollution associated with its operations, products or services, contractual or business relationships, or value chain.
disclosing tools, approaches, or external standards followed to conduct the self-assessment, or external audits or inspections they engage in.
disclosing affected stakeholders (customers, local communities, tenants, etc.)
disclosing frequency, timing, or factors that trigger the company to conduct risk assessments (or reassessment) on water use or pollution (e.g. proposed business activity, in response to or in anticipation of changes in the operating environment, periodically throughout the life of an activity or relationship, etc.)
Examples of impacts to society that the company can measure include impacts to:
human health
the wellbeing of local communities
marginalized populations, such as Indigenous Peoples
access to land or areas
This is unmet if the company:
conducts a risk assessment that does not disclose specifically the risks to society
discloses an ongoing assessment, or that one will be conducted in the future
environment, causing significant negative effects on both ecosystem functioning and human health
(IUCN, 2017). Water pollution not only degrades freshwater sources, contributing to the global water
crisis, but also threatens biodiversity. As industrial activities are a major contributor to water pollution,
companies have a responsibility to implement more effective and transparent wastewater treatment
and pollution control measures.The company must either:
Have a policy stating that the company has conducted social impact assessments associated with its water use or pollution risks across substantial operations, or
Provide at least a high-level summary of a social risk or impact assessment for its most material operations or value chain impacts.
Evidence of having conducted a risk or impact assessment for their most material sites can include:
disclosing the actual or potential negative impacts stemming from its water use or pollution associated with its operations, products or services, contractual or business relationships, or value chain.
disclosing tools, approaches, or external standards followed to conduct the self-assessment, or external audits or inspections they engage in.
disclosing affected stakeholders (customers, local communities, tenants, etc.)
disclosing frequency, timing, or factors that trigger the company to conduct risk assessments (or reassessment) on water use or pollution (e.g. proposed business activity, in response to or in anticipation of changes in the operating environment, periodically throughout the life of an activity or relationship, etc.)
Examples of impacts to society that the company can measure include impacts to:
human health
the wellbeing of local communities
marginalized populations, such as Indigenous Peoples
access to land or areas
This is unmet if the company:
conducts a risk assessment that does not disclose specifically the risks to society
discloses an ongoing assessment, or that one will be conducted in the future
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report