The World Benchmarking Alliance has started ranking the world’s largest seafood producers against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The WBA has launched a consultation on the proposed methodology for its Seafood Stewardship Index and is inviting feedback and input from industry by 17 December 2018.
Bas Geerts, Seafood Stewardship Index Lead at the World Benchmarking Alliance, said the consultation will ensure that the methodology is appropriate to all users.
He said: “The Seafood Stewardship Index is a bold response to the major challenges facing the global seafood industry these days. This consultation will make the SSI methodology more robust as we continue to bring many different perspectives to the table.”
Launched at the UN General Assembly in September, the WBA is attempting to develop a range of corporate benchmarks which will chart the world’s largest companies against the UN’s SDGs. It is hoping to have a full suite of indices developed by 2023.
The organisation hopes that these indices will measure the environmental, social and governance agenda of each company and assign a value to their social contribution. The first Seafood Stewardship Index report is scheduled to be published towards the end of next year, with the approved ranking methodology to be published in March 2019.
Gerbrand Haverkamp, executive director of the World Benchmarking Alliance, said that time is running out for organisations, governments and individuals to embrace and implement the SDGs.
He explained: “With only 12 years left to deliver against the SDGs, governments, businesses, civil society and individuals alike must make a concerted effort to achieve progress. This new and unique approach will measure and incentivise businesses to continue driving efforts towards a more sustainable future.
“The real value of benchmarks is that they will empower society to make decisions that are in line with societal values, which will ultimately create demand for corporate responsibility.”
Those wishing to feedback on the proposed methodology for the index, can do so here.
