Social Benchmark
Moving towards a world where companies value all people and leave no one behind.
Aim
The Sustainable Development Goals place people at the heart and promote an agenda that envisions a world where no one is left behind. To achieve the Goals by 2030, human rights must be respected, inequalities need to be tackled head on and the current societal structures that constrain people from living a self-determined life must be transformed.
The World Benchmarking Alliance is assessing 2,000 largest and most influential companies on 12 high-level societal expectations that all companies should meet to ensure that they leave no one behind. These include topics such as paying workers a living wage, carrying out human rights due diligence, and responsible lobbying. The results of this assessment, known as the Social Benchmark, will be published around July 2024.
2024 Social Benchmark
See results and findings
What's our approach to assessing 2,000 companies on the social transformation?
Our Social Transformation Framework sets out the 12 high-level societal expectations that companies should meet in order to leave no one behind, support the SDGs and help create a future that works for everyone. It also outlines how we will incentivise companies to do so. These expectations are grouped into three categories: human rights, decent work and ethical conduct. They are signposted by 18 core social indicators that enable us to assess a wide breadth of companies.
See the frameworkSpotlight benchmarks
Our spotlight benchmarks take a deeper dive into priority areas that, if addressed, will be key catalysts for change. Theý go beyond looking at companies’ policy commitments and hold companies accountable for their performance and progress. We chose these focus areas for their ability to cut across sectors and geographies.
Corporate Human Rights Benchmark
The Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assesses the human rights policies, processes and practices of some of the largest publicly traded companies across various sectors.
Learn more
Gender Benchmark
The Gender Benchmark assesses and compares how companies are driving and promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Learn more
Use our social methodologies to assess companies in your region
Learn moreThe Expert Review Committee
Our social transformation work is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee. These members support our core team with their expertise and experience.
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Phil Bloomer
Executive Director, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
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Carolien De Bruin
Senior Director Equity Action, World Council for Sustainable Development
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Surya Deva
Professor, Macquarie Law School and Director of the Centre for Environmental Law
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Rebecca DeWinter-Schmitt
Associate Director, Investor Alliance for Human Rights
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Lauren Gula
Part of the Care2Equal team at the International Finance Corporation
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Ruth Mhlanga
Head of Private Sector Engagement, Oxfam Great Britain
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Andrea Pradilla
Director, Global Reporting Initiative (Latin America)
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Nikolaj Pedersen
Senior Lead, Human Rights, UN Principles for Responsible Investment
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Sor.Rattanamanee Polkla
Lawyer and Executive Coordinator, Community Resource Centre
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Anita Ramasastry
Director at the University of Washington School of Law
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Livio Sarandrea
Global Adviser for Business and Human Rights, UNDP
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Colette Solomon
Director, Women on Farms Project
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David Wofford
Senior Director, Private Sector Strategy and Engagement for the UN Foundation/Universal Access Project
Milestones
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Publish scoping report on assessing companies' contributions to a social transformation
April 2020
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Publish our draft methodology for assessing a social transformation
June 2020
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Consultation of the draft methodology for assessing a social transformation
June to September 2020
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Publish Social Transformation Framework
January 2021
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Publish assessment of 1,000 companies on their contributions to a social transformation
January 2022
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Publish the first Social Benchmark, an assessment of 2,000 companies
July 2024
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Assess 2,000 companies on a rolling basis
2024 onwards
Get involved
As we build our work, we continue to engage with stakeholders across the globe through targeted communications with key organisations and representatives. Get in touch to know more.
