Pollution is among the primary drivers of biodiversity loss, with large amounts of hazardous chemicals and other pollutants affecting ecosystem function and leading to population decline (UNEP, BRS Conventions and Minamata Convention, 2021). Persistence of such hazardous substances and waste in the environment can lead to uptake by wildlife and humans resulting in reproductive and carcinogenic effects. As such, this indicator covers the production and management of hazardous substances as well as waste management.

A note on the scoring system

Wikirate uses a standardized 10-point scoring system to enable comparison of company scores across different benchmarks. In the Nature Benchmark, companies can earn 1 point per indicator, which are then added together and calculated as a percentage of the total score for a measurement area (MA) to determine the final score for the MA. The overall Wikirate score is calculated by combining these scores with the appropriate weightings, and converting them to a 10-point scale. For instance, if a company achieves a final score of 50, the corresponding WikiRating will be 5.