OCE-B.07.A - Air Pollutant Reporting
Does the company report on its air pollutants?
About the data
The WBA Ocean Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to halt and reverse nature loss in marine ecosystems, tracking how companies manage their impacts on ocean biodiversity, marine habitats, and the communities and workers dependent on healthy seas. The 2026 edition is WBA's first Ocean Benchmark, assessing 125 companies across key sectors dependent on oceans, including seafood, maritime transport, offshore wind energy, shipbuilding, port operations, apparel, and chemicals. Companies are assessed on 47 indicators across four measurement areas: governance, ecosystems and biodiversity, social responsibility, and core social indicators. The benchmark builds on WBA's Nature Benchmark and the former Seafood Stewardship Index, and its methodology was developed with input from more than 50 stakeholders including ocean communities, companies, scientists and civil society, with human rights and social impacts kept at its core alongside nature-specific concerns. More information can be found here.
Methodology
Air pollutants, such as nitrogen and sulphur oxides, introduced through companies’
operations and business activities, have adverse impacts on air and water quality, climate, habitats,
biodiversity, agriculture and both animal and human health (GRI, 2021). Moreover, certain air
pollutants can disrupt the provision of critical ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, carbon
cycling and water supply, which are essential for planetary and human life. Air pollutants can also
cause water quality degradation through atmospheric deposition.
This indicator measures a company's approach to monitoring and reducing harmful air pollutants
throughout its value chain, going beyond national and international regulations. One major
consequence of atmospheric pollution on the ocean is ‘ocean acidification’, which occurs when
airborne carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, creating chemical processes that reduce
seawater pH and may affect many marine organisms. Air pollutants such as nitrogen, mercury,
combustion emissions, pesticides and heavy metals can decrease water quality by settling into
waterbodies and harming aquatic ecosystems. Given all these threats, companies should comply with
international air pollution regulations and commit to decarbonisation efforts.
Research Guidance:
The company must disclose NOx and SOx to meet this element. Emissions must be disclosed using absolute values.
Other common air pollutants that companies could report on include:
Persistent organic pollutants (POP)
Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
Hazardous air pollutants (HAP)
Particulate matter (PM).
Additionally, companies from the following industries must disclose at least one additional pollutant:
Chemicals (e.g. HAP)
Construction materials (e.g. PM, VOC, dioxins, heavy metals)
Containers and packaging (e.g. PM)
Cruise lines (e.g. PM)
Electric utilities and power generators (e.g. PM, lead and mercury)
Freight (e.g. PM)
Iron & Steel Producers (e.g. PM, VOC, lead, carbon monoxide and manganese)
Marine transportation (e.g. PM)
Metals and mining (e.g. PM, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic)
Oil & gas (e.g. VOC)
Pulp & Paper Products (e.g. PM)
Road transportation (e.g. PM)
Reporting must cover the company's entire operations. Datapoint must be from the most recent reporting period. Intensity metrics are not accepted.
operations and business activities, have adverse impacts on air and water quality, climate, habitats,
biodiversity, agriculture and both animal and human health (GRI, 2021). Moreover, certain air
pollutants can disrupt the provision of critical ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, carbon
cycling and water supply, which are essential for planetary and human life. Air pollutants can also
cause water quality degradation through atmospheric deposition.
This indicator measures a company's approach to monitoring and reducing harmful air pollutants
throughout its value chain, going beyond national and international regulations. One major
consequence of atmospheric pollution on the ocean is ‘ocean acidification’, which occurs when
airborne carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, creating chemical processes that reduce
seawater pH and may affect many marine organisms. Air pollutants such as nitrogen, mercury,
combustion emissions, pesticides and heavy metals can decrease water quality by settling into
waterbodies and harming aquatic ecosystems. Given all these threats, companies should comply with
international air pollution regulations and commit to decarbonisation efforts.
Research Guidance:
The company must disclose NOx and SOx to meet this element. Emissions must be disclosed using absolute values.
Other common air pollutants that companies could report on include:
Persistent organic pollutants (POP)
Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
Hazardous air pollutants (HAP)
Particulate matter (PM).
Additionally, companies from the following industries must disclose at least one additional pollutant:
Chemicals (e.g. HAP)
Construction materials (e.g. PM, VOC, dioxins, heavy metals)
Containers and packaging (e.g. PM)
Cruise lines (e.g. PM)
Electric utilities and power generators (e.g. PM, lead and mercury)
Freight (e.g. PM)
Iron & Steel Producers (e.g. PM, VOC, lead, carbon monoxide and manganese)
Marine transportation (e.g. PM)
Metals and mining (e.g. PM, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic)
Oil & gas (e.g. VOC)
Pulp & Paper Products (e.g. PM)
Road transportation (e.g. PM)
Reporting must cover the company's entire operations. Datapoint must be from the most recent reporting period. Intensity metrics are not accepted.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report