OCE-B.07.E - Air Pollution Regulatory Compliance
Does the company demonstrate compliance with standard regulations against air pollution in its sector?
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:
For this element to be met, the company must comply with maritime regulations for its sector in case of ocean economy industries.
Differences in air pollution standards between the ocean and land economies stem from the regulatory frameworks governing them. For the land economy, air pollution standards are primarily tied to national or regional laws (e.g., the Clean Air Act, EU Industrial Emissions Directive), with localized enforcement. In contrast, the ocean economy is governed by international conventions such as MARPOL, UNCLOS, and IMO regulations. Compliance in the ocean economy depends on the flag state (where the vessel is registered) and port state controls (enforcement by visited countries).
For example, the companies in the shipping sector demonstrate they comply with Marpol regulations on Air pollution.
Ocean economy sectors mainly focus on Global GHGs (CO‚ÇÇ, SOx, NOx), important they report on sulphur content. Ships are primary sources of SOx, NOx, CO‚ÇÇ, and PM emissions due to the combustion of heavy fuel oils or marine diesel.
IMO Regulations (Global Standards)
Under MARPOL Annex VI, ships must:
Use low-sulphur fuels (0.5% globally and 0.1% in Emission Control Areas [ECAs]).
Reduce NOx emissions (Tier III standards in ECAs).
Certifications from entities that cover this topic.
Ports: Ports have unique air pollution regulations due to their role as hubs for shipping and logistics. These rules focus on reducing emissions during ship operations at berth through measures like shore power, clean fuels, and emission inventories, whereas other sectors focus on land-based sources like vehicles, factories, and localized pollutants. The combination of international (IMO) and regional/national regulations makes ports distinct in their regulatory approach.
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:
For this element to be met, the company must comply with maritime regulations for its sector in case of ocean economy industries.
Differences in air pollution standards between the ocean and land economies stem from the regulatory frameworks governing them. For the land economy, air pollution standards are primarily tied to national or regional laws (e.g., the Clean Air Act, EU Industrial Emissions Directive), with localized enforcement. In contrast, the ocean economy is governed by international conventions such as MARPOL, UNCLOS, and IMO regulations. Compliance in the ocean economy depends on the flag state (where the vessel is registered) and port state controls (enforcement by visited countries).
For example, the companies in the shipping sector demonstrate they comply with Marpol regulations on Air pollution.
Ocean economy sectors mainly focus on Global GHGs (CO‚ÇÇ, SOx, NOx), important they report on sulphur content. Ships are primary sources of SOx, NOx, CO‚ÇÇ, and PM emissions due to the combustion of heavy fuel oils or marine diesel.
IMO Regulations (Global Standards)
Under MARPOL Annex VI, ships must:
Use low-sulphur fuels (0.5% globally and 0.1% in Emission Control Areas [ECAs]).
Reduce NOx emissions (Tier III standards in ECAs).
Certifications from entities that cover this topic.
Ports: Ports have unique air pollution regulations due to their role as hubs for shipping and logistics. These rules focus on reducing emissions during ship operations at berth through measures like shore power, clean fuels, and emission inventories, whereas other sectors focus on land-based sources like vehicles, factories, and localized pollutants. The combination of international (IMO) and regional/national regulations makes ports distinct in their regulatory approach.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report