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 global reliance on a linear economy is a major driver of environmental degradation,
with the extraction and processing of materials, fuels and food responsible for 90% of biodiversity loss
(UNEP, 2019). At the same time, global material consumption continues to climb: in the last six years
alone, we have consumed over half a trillion tonnes of materials – nearly matching the total material
use throughout the whole of the 20th century (Circularity Gap Report, 2023). This unsustainable
pattern underscores the urgent need for companies to adopt more responsible and transparent
resource use practices.Companies must set a target improve its material input that covers the whole operation. Eligible targets can include:
Decreasing total weight of non-renewable input materials
Increasing % of renewable materials
Increasing % of reused/recycled products
This is unmet if the target only applies to specific product lines or for specific parts of the operation.
Targets must be timebound, with a defined baseline value and year, and include clear, quantitative, and measurable metrics. They should focus on short-term progress up to 2030, with any longer-term goals broken down into interim targets no more than five years apart. Intensity targets are generally not accepted unless stated otherwise, as they do not ensure absolute improvements. Year-on-year targets and qualitative targets may be accepted on a case-by-case basis, depending on their ambition and measurability. Any changes to targets or their underlying assumptions must be explained, particularly in terms of impact on comparability. Additionally, targets limited to isolated projects or aimed solely at maintaining current performance are not accepted.
with the extraction and processing of materials, fuels and food responsible for 90% of biodiversity loss
(UNEP, 2019). At the same time, global material consumption continues to climb: in the last six years
alone, we have consumed over half a trillion tonnes of materials – nearly matching the total material
use throughout the whole of the 20th century (Circularity Gap Report, 2023). This unsustainable
pattern underscores the urgent need for companies to adopt more responsible and transparent
resource use practices.Companies must set a target improve its material input that covers the whole operation. Eligible targets can include:
Decreasing total weight of non-renewable input materials
Increasing % of renewable materials
Increasing % of reused/recycled products
This is unmet if the target only applies to specific product lines or for specific parts of the operation.
Targets must be timebound, with a defined baseline value and year, and include clear, quantitative, and measurable metrics. They should focus on short-term progress up to 2030, with any longer-term goals broken down into interim targets no more than five years apart. Intensity targets are generally not accepted unless stated otherwise, as they do not ensure absolute improvements. Year-on-year targets and qualitative targets may be accepted on a case-by-case basis, depending on their ambition and measurability. Any changes to targets or their underlying assumptions must be explained, particularly in terms of impact on comparability. Additionally, targets limited to isolated projects or aimed solely at maintaining current performance are not accepted.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report