NAT.B13.EC Air Pollutants Reporting
About the data
This metric was designed by The World Benchmarking Alliance, more information can be found here. Sources and Alignments for each indicator can be found here as well as the scoring guidelines here
The World Benchmarking Alliance's Nature Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to protect our environment and its biodiversity.
This metric relates to the Indicator: The company reduces the production of air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.
Rationale: The production of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, through companies' operations and business activities, has adverse effects on the climate, habitats, biodiversity, agriculture, air quality and the health of both animals and humans (GRI, 2021). Moreover, the increase in certain air pollutants can disrupt the provision of ecosystem services, for example nutrient cycling and carbon cycling, but also water supply, on which planetary and human life depends. As such, this indicator measures companies' approach to measuring and reducing harmful air pollutants across the value chain, including beyond national and international regulations.
Methodology
WBA analysed all publicly available group-level disclosure in English on the applicable group website, which was predominantly annual reports and sustainability reports. Draft assessments were then sent to each company inviting them to provide feedback. This feedback could include additional publicly available group disclosure published. These were then reviewed and finalised. Final assessments were then shared with each company before being published online.
For this metric reporting data on non-GHG emissions. the company should state that these have been identified as the most material to the company through a materiality process due to its industry and geographical locations. Air pollutants that companies should be reporting on include nitrous oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), persistent organic pollutants (POP), volatile organic compounds (VOC), hazardous air pollutants (HAP), particular matter (PM) and other standard categories of air pollutants.