About the data
The WBA Digital Inclusion Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to advance digital inclusion, tracking how companies are expanding access to digital technologies, improving digital skills and literacy, and ensuring safe and inclusive digital environments for all. The 2026 edition assessed 200 companies across key sectors of the digital economy including telecommunications, software, hardware, and digital platforms. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and partners including GRI, ITU, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet, with a methodology designed to incentivise companies to understand where digital exclusion risks are highest and act to bridge the digital divide, while keeping human rights and social impacts at its core.
More information can be found here.
More information can be found here.
Methodology
Growing digitalisation is resulting in increasing use of natural resources. For digital inclusion to be truly beneficial, it must not lead to environmental degradation. Monitoring and improving energy use and water pollution helps ensure that digital expansion does not come at the cost of environmental harm, which can affect the same populations that digital inclusion aims to empower.
Environmental sustainability is closely tied to digital inclusion and rights because communities that benefit from digital inclusion efforts may also bear the environmental costs associated with digital infrastructure, such as energy-intensive data centres and potential water pollution from manufacturing facilities. Ensuring that digital inclusion initiatives are sustainable helps protect these communities from environmental harm, supporting their right to a clean and safe environment.
Research Guidance:
For water use: This element follows the same guidelines as element B05.A in the FAB benchmark and element B08.A in the Nature benchmark.‚
The company must report the following metrics on the company‚s entire operations:
Water withdrawal
Water consumption
Water withdrawal and consumption from water-stressed areas, at least from areas with high water stress and above
Water-stressed areas must be identified following a recognized tool or methodology (e.g., the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas).Aggregatedmetricsfrom water-stressed areasare acceptable, although best practice isdisaggregated. Exceptions to accepting one ofthe two metricsare possible for some industries(e.g.realestate)if the****ability to return water to the network is restricted due to local infrastructure,or if the company explicitly states that its withdrawal and consumption figures are equal (e.g.a restaurant chainthat consumes all the water it withdraws). Reporting must cover the company‚s entire operations.Datapoint must be from the most recent reporting period. Intensity metrics are not accepted.
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For energy consumption: This element follows the same guidelines as Urban benchmark.
The company must disclose the following information:
Energy consumption from renewable sources.
Break down its reporting on its energy consumption from renewable sources into clear categorical distinctions.
Energy consumption from non-renewable sources.
Break down its reporting on its energy consumption from non-renewable sources into clear categorical distinctions.
Note that if the company reports its overall energy consumption, it must disclose non-renewable and renewable consumption with clear categorical distinctions of the energy sources.
Datapoints must be no older than three years.The data must cover the company‚s entire operations, and must be disclosed using absolute values.
This element applies to both energy and water consumption for companies in the following sectors: Content Production and Distribution, Financial Services, Hardware, Retail of Goods and Services, and Software and Information Services. For the Telecommunications sector, only energy consumption is applicable.
Environmental sustainability is closely tied to digital inclusion and rights because communities that benefit from digital inclusion efforts may also bear the environmental costs associated with digital infrastructure, such as energy-intensive data centres and potential water pollution from manufacturing facilities. Ensuring that digital inclusion initiatives are sustainable helps protect these communities from environmental harm, supporting their right to a clean and safe environment.
Research Guidance:
For water use: This element follows the same guidelines as element B05.A in the FAB benchmark and element B08.A in the Nature benchmark.‚
The company must report the following metrics on the company‚s entire operations:
Water withdrawal
Water consumption
Water withdrawal and consumption from water-stressed areas, at least from areas with high water stress and above
Water-stressed areas must be identified following a recognized tool or methodology (e.g., the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas).Aggregatedmetricsfrom water-stressed areasare acceptable, although best practice isdisaggregated. Exceptions to accepting one ofthe two metricsare possible for some industries(e.g.realestate)if the****ability to return water to the network is restricted due to local infrastructure,or if the company explicitly states that its withdrawal and consumption figures are equal (e.g.a restaurant chainthat consumes all the water it withdraws). Reporting must cover the company‚s entire operations.Datapoint must be from the most recent reporting period. Intensity metrics are not accepted.
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For energy consumption: This element follows the same guidelines as Urban benchmark.
The company must disclose the following information:
Energy consumption from renewable sources.
Break down its reporting on its energy consumption from renewable sources into clear categorical distinctions.
Energy consumption from non-renewable sources.
Break down its reporting on its energy consumption from non-renewable sources into clear categorical distinctions.
Note that if the company reports its overall energy consumption, it must disclose non-renewable and renewable consumption with clear categorical distinctions of the energy sources.
Datapoints must be no older than three years.The data must cover the company‚s entire operations, and must be disclosed using absolute values.
This element applies to both energy and water consumption for companies in the following sectors: Content Production and Distribution, Financial Services, Hardware, Retail of Goods and Services, and Software and Information Services. For the Telecommunications sector, only energy consumption is applicable.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report