URB-C.06.B - Waste Reduction Target
Does the company set a target to reduce its waste generation?
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
Waste comprises materials that are discarded at the end of their lifecycle, including
residuals and by-products, whether solids, liquids, or gaseous, and hazardous or non-hazardous.
These diverse waste streams are predominantly handled by municipal waste management systems.
However, the effectiveness of such systems varies, and challenges are particularly pronounced in low-
income countries. It's noteworthy that waste, being a by-product of consumption, exhibits distinct
patterns based on economic development. Notably, high-income countries tend to generate more
waste per capita compared to their low-income counterparts (World Bank Group, 2021), underscoring
the relationship between consumption patterns and waste generation. Globally, with an increasing
concentration of human activities in urban areas, waste management is becoming a critical aspect of
urban environmental stewardship.
Research Guidance
The company discloses time-bound, measurable targets for reducing either its general waste production or at least one of its most material categories of waste (e.g. hazardous, non-hazardous, plastic, e-waste and other relevant waste streams.
Targets aimed at maintaining waste levels are not accepted.
All targets must include the baseline value and base year from which progress is measured.
All targets should have clear, quantitative, and measurable metrics. Vague or general goals to reduce waste are not sufficient.
Targets must be short-term (now to 2030) - longer term targets (i.e. those with an end date past 2030) are only accepted if they are broken down into interim targets that are 5 years away or less.
Targets must cover all of the company's operations - targets only applied to one-off and isolated projects are not accepted.
Where necessary, targets must be set with reference to the methodologies or assumptions used for setting them (such as the SBTi for waste or industry specific waste reduction goals).
If there are changes in targets within the latest reporting year, the company must provide an explanation of the rationale for those changes and their effect on comparability.
residuals and by-products, whether solids, liquids, or gaseous, and hazardous or non-hazardous.
These diverse waste streams are predominantly handled by municipal waste management systems.
However, the effectiveness of such systems varies, and challenges are particularly pronounced in low-
income countries. It's noteworthy that waste, being a by-product of consumption, exhibits distinct
patterns based on economic development. Notably, high-income countries tend to generate more
waste per capita compared to their low-income counterparts (World Bank Group, 2021), underscoring
the relationship between consumption patterns and waste generation. Globally, with an increasing
concentration of human activities in urban areas, waste management is becoming a critical aspect of
urban environmental stewardship.
Research Guidance
The company discloses time-bound, measurable targets for reducing either its general waste production or at least one of its most material categories of waste (e.g. hazardous, non-hazardous, plastic, e-waste and other relevant waste streams.
Targets aimed at maintaining waste levels are not accepted.
All targets must include the baseline value and base year from which progress is measured.
All targets should have clear, quantitative, and measurable metrics. Vague or general goals to reduce waste are not sufficient.
Targets must be short-term (now to 2030) - longer term targets (i.e. those with an end date past 2030) are only accepted if they are broken down into interim targets that are 5 years away or less.
Targets must cover all of the company's operations - targets only applied to one-off and isolated projects are not accepted.
Where necessary, targets must be set with reference to the methodologies or assumptions used for setting them (such as the SBTi for waste or industry specific waste reduction goals).
If there are changes in targets within the latest reporting year, the company must provide an explanation of the rationale for those changes and their effect on comparability.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report