About the data
The WBA Urban Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to shape sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban environments, tracking how companies address essential urban needs while respecting planetary boundaries across dimensions including decent work and human rights, environmental and climate impacts, social inclusion, and sustainability leadership. The 2026 edition assessed 300 companies across four key industries shaping urban environments: real estate, construction and engineering, transport, and utilities. Companies were scored on 24 urban-specific indicators plus 18 core social indicators, spanning four measurement areas: sustainable governance, inclusive cities, healthy cities, and climate change and resilient cities. The benchmark is designed to incentivise the private sector to take adequate responsibility for its role in ensuring affordable, safe and inclusive urban environments for all. More information can be found here.
Methodology
The transition to net zero and developments in artificial intelligence are driving huge
sectoral shifts in the global economy and changing the demand for workers’ skills and knowledge,
leading to corporate restructuring, skills gaps and layoffs, with stronger effects in certain industries.
Large companies, often at the forefront of technological innovations and smart city developments,
must consider the impacts of these transitions on their workers in terms of income and employment.
They should develop programmes for upskilling to ensure that future skills needs are met and
retention and redeployment outweigh redundancy.
Research Guidance
The company reports the number or share of employees that have been laid off during the reporting year.
The company can either report the rate of redundancy, the involuntary turnover rate, the number of severance packages, or other similar metrics.
The voluntary turnover rate alone is not accepted, as it captures resignations and retirements rather than job losses due to transitions. However, if the company reports both the total turnover rate and the voluntary turnover rate, this is sufficient as the involuntary turnover rate is implied.
It is not necessary to cite the reason for dismissal (e.g. automation, plant closure), though this is noted as best practice.
sectoral shifts in the global economy and changing the demand for workers’ skills and knowledge,
leading to corporate restructuring, skills gaps and layoffs, with stronger effects in certain industries.
Large companies, often at the forefront of technological innovations and smart city developments,
must consider the impacts of these transitions on their workers in terms of income and employment.
They should develop programmes for upskilling to ensure that future skills needs are met and
retention and redeployment outweigh redundancy.
Research Guidance
The company reports the number or share of employees that have been laid off during the reporting year.
The company can either report the rate of redundancy, the involuntary turnover rate, the number of severance packages, or other similar metrics.
The voluntary turnover rate alone is not accepted, as it captures resignations and retirements rather than job losses due to transitions. However, if the company reports both the total turnover rate and the voluntary turnover rate, this is sufficient as the involuntary turnover rate is implied.
It is not necessary to cite the reason for dismissal (e.g. automation, plant closure), though this is noted as best practice.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report