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
The production of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, through
companies’ operations and business activities has adverse effects on agriculture, air quality,
biodiversity, climate, habitats and the health of both animals and humans (GRI, 2021). This indicator
measures companies’ approaches to measuring and reducing harmful air pollutants across their value
chains. 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.
companies’ operations and business activities has adverse effects on agriculture, air quality,
biodiversity, climate, habitats and the health of both animals and humans (GRI, 2021). This indicator
measures companies’ approaches to measuring and reducing harmful air pollutants across their value
chains. 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