Summary
A groundbreaking shift in corporate accountability has occurred with the release of the first ever Ocean Benchmark by the World Benchmarking Alliance. In an unexpected turn of events, a global food giant has claimed the top spot in an assessment of marine and coastal impact.
Global giants ranked for marine impact
According to the World Benchmarking Alliance, Nestle has secured the top spot in the first ever Ocean Benchmark, a groundbreaking assessment of how the world’s most influential companies impact marine and coastal ecosystems.
The report, released in early 2026, evaluated 125 global giants across 47 indicators. While many may find the choice of a land-based food company as the ocean leader surprising, the results highlight a significant shift in how corporate responsibility is measured beyond traditional maritime sectors.
The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) launched this benchmark to fill a critical gap in corporate accountability. While many companies have matured in tracking their terrestrial and freshwater impacts, the ocean has historically remained a blind spot.
Top 20 ocean sustainability rankings
Below is the leaderboard including direct links to each company’s website and their official WBA Ocean Benchmark scorecard.
- Nestle Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Mowi Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Orsted Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- BASF Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Vattenfall Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Nueva Pescanova Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- LVMH Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Unilever Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Danone Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- A.P. Moller – Maersk Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Thai Union Group Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Mitsubishi Corporation Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Austevoll Seafood Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Maruha Nichiro Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Nutreco (Skretting) Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Bakkafrost Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Equinor Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Iberdrola Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
- Tesco Official Website | Ocean Benchmark Scorecard
Nestle takes the lead in marine assessment
The announcement has sent ripples through the corporate world. While many industry experts might have expected a shipping or seafood company to lead the way, it was Nestle that secured the number one position with a score of 58.7 out of 100.
Nestle’s high ranking was bolstered by its strong performance in social responsibility (49.4/100) and core social indicators (73.2/100), where it demonstrated more robust human rights and ethical conduct frameworks than many of its maritime peers. Meanwhile, companies like Unilever led in Governance (91.7/100) and Mowi took the lead in the Biodiversity category (62.8/100).
The news has sparked significant conversation online. One industry observer noted that they had to review the results multiple times to believe that a land based company could outperform traditional maritime sectors. This surprising result highlights a new era where all major corporations must account for their impact on the seas, regardless of their primary business location.
Industry insights and regional leaders
The benchmark revealed that sectors such as offshore wind and seafood are currently performing the best, while shipbuilding has the lowest scores. Geographically, European companies are leading the way, followed by those in the East Asia and Pacific region. North American companies were found to be lagging significantly behind their global peers.
A critical takeaway from the report is that many companies are better at addressing climate related issues than they are at managing direct ocean impacts. Furthermore, land based sectors are currently ahead of ocean sectors when it comes to tracking their overall nature impact.
Room for improvement across all sectors
While the achievement of the top ranked companies is recognized, the benchmark clarifies that no company is currently doing enough. Even with Nestle at number one, a score of 58.7 shows there is immense room for improvement.
The existence of this benchmark is seen as a refreshing move toward transparency. It provides a platform for the public to dive deeper into corporate reports and judge for themselves how these giants are moving in a better direction. With the ocean being a primary ally against climate change and a source of every second breath we take, the report emphasizes that it is time for every corporation to do better.
The message for the global corporate community is clear: the ocean is a vital ally in the fight against climate change, and tracking its health is no longer optional for the world’s largest companies.
Official report details
For a complete overview of the methodology and to explore the data for all 125 companies, visit the central reporting hub:
- Ocean Benchmark Home Page: World Benchmarking Alliance Ocean Hub
- Full Data Set Download: WBA 2026 Rankings Data
