Industry Comparison

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Current language: English (2023)

You are viewing information about the following Industries:

  • Waste Management Waste Management industry entities collect, store, dispose of, recycle or treat various forms of waste from residential, commercial and industrial clients. Types of waste include municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, recyclable materials, and compostable or organic materials. Major entities commonly are integrated vertically, providing a range of services from waste collection to landfilling and recycling, while others provide specialised services such as treating medical and industrial waste. Waste-to-energy operations are a distinct industry segment. Some industry players also provide environmental engineering and consulting services, mostly to large industrial clients.
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  • Household & Personal Products Household & Personal Products industry entities manufacture a wide range of goods for personal and commercial consumption, including cosmetics, household and industrial cleaning supplies, soaps and detergents, sanitary paper products, household batteries, razors and kitchen utensils. Household and personal products entities operate globally and typically sell their products to mass merchants, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, high-frequency stores, distributors and e-commerce retailers. Some entities sell products through independent representatives rather than third-party retail establishments.
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Relevant Issues for both Industries (10 of 26)

Why are some issues greyed out? The SASB Standards vary by industry based on the different sustainability-related risks and opportunities within an industry. The issues in grey were not identified during the standard-setting process as the most likely to be useful to investors, so they are not included in the Standard. Over time, as the ISSB continues to receive market feedback, some issues may be added or removed from the Standard. Each company determines which sustainability-related risks and opportunities are relevant to its business. The Standard is designed for the typical company in an industry, but individual companies may choose to report on different sustainability-related risks and opportunities based on their unique business model.

Disclosure Topics

What is the relationship between General Issue Category and Disclosure Topics? The General Issue Category is an industry-agnostic version of the Disclosure Topics that appear in each SASB Standard. Disclosure topics represent the industry-specific impacts of General Issue Categories. The industry-specific Disclosure Topics ensure each SASB Standard is tailored to the industry, while the General Issue Categories enable comparability across industries. For example, Health & Nutrition is a disclosure topic in the Non-Alcoholic Beverages industry, representing an industry-specific measure of the general issue of Customer Welfare. The issue of Customer Welfare, however, manifests as the Counterfeit Drugs disclosure topic in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals industry.
  • Waste Management Remove
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    • GHG Emissions The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
      • Greenhouse Gas Emissions Landfills are a significant anthropogenic contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because they generate methane. As a result, regulators frequently require entities to limit landfill gas emissions. Entities can reduce these emissions through a variety of control technologies that require significant capital investments such as landfill gas collection efficiency improvements, control devices and increased methane oxidisation. Entities can capture and combust methane using a flare, an engine or a turbine to reduce the overall toxicity and potency of raw emissions dramatically. Landfill gas capture is particularly important for owners and operators of large landfills that have been the focus of regulation. Entities that operate in the waste-to-energy industry segment may reduce waste lifecycle emissions through decreased future emissions from landfills and displaced energy generation, but they face increased Scope 1 emissions from waste-to-energy facilities operations. Overall, GHG emissions pose regulatory risks for the industry, with potential effects on operational costs and capital expenditures. Entities also may generate revenue through the sale of natural gas and energy from waste-to-energy facilities, as well as reduce fuel purchases by using processed landfill gas to power operations. Performance on this issue may affect an entity’s ability to secure new permits or renew existing ones, which can affect revenue.
      • Fleet Fuel Management Many entities in the Waste Management industry own and operate large vehicle fleets for waste collection and transfer. The fuel consumption of vehicle fleets is a significant industry cost, both in terms of operating expenses and associated capital expenditures. Fossil fuel consumption can contribute to environmental impacts, including climate change and pollution. These environmental impacts may affect waste management entities through increased regulatory exposure and reduced competitiveness of new contract proposals. Hedging fuel purchases is a common tool used to manage fleet-fuel risks; however, increasingly, waste management entities are upgrading to more fuel-efficient fleets or switching to natural gas vehicles. A cleaner-burning fleet also may be perceived favourably by communities living near waste management facilities with heavy traffic.
    • Air Quality The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
      • Air Quality Air pollution is the presence of air contaminants in such quantities and duration that they may be injurious to humans, animals, plants or property. It also includes contaminants that interfere with enjoyment of life or property. Therefore, odours and toxic gases, such as those emitted from landfills, landfill fires, waste incinerators and waste treatment plants, are considered air pollution. The financial consequences from excessive air emissions vary depending on the specific location of operations and the prevailing air emissions regulations, but they may include capital expenditures, increased operating costs, fines, and lawsuits from affected communities. Human health impacts and financial consequences of poor air quality management may be exacerbated by the proximity of waste management facilities to communities. Active management of air pollutants and odours—through technological and process improvements—therefore may mitigate regulatory exposure and associated future compliance costs from increasingly stringent air quality regulations, help entities secure and maintain permits, and protect their licence to operate.
    • Water & Wastewater Management The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
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    • Waste & Hazardous Materials Management The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
      • Management of Leachate & Hazardous Waste Entities operating landfills must manage and reduce the risks of potential ecological impacts, including those caused by leachate and hazardous waste. Poor management of landfills and other disposal sites may contaminate soil, groundwater and nearby water bodies. To mitigate environmental and health risks to local communities, entities must effectively contain and manage leachate, as well as hazardous waste. Entities unable to manage these risks may suffer regulatory penalties, lose brand value, impair future business prospects and face lawsuits.
    • Product Quality & Safety The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
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    • Labour Practices The category addresses the company’s ability to uphold commonly accepted labour standards in the workplace, including compliance with labour laws and internationally accepted norms and standards. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring basic human rights related to child labour, forced or bonded labour, exploitative labour, fair wages and overtime pay, and other basic workers’ rights. It also includes minimum wage policies and provision of benefits, which may influence how a workforce is attracted, retained, and motivated. The category further addresses a company’s relationship with organized labour and freedom of association.
      • Labour Practices Organised labour is important in the Waste Management industry. Covering many workers, collective bargaining agreements protect workers’ rights and establish wages. Waste management entities may be vulnerable to strikes, shutdowns and delays if labour concerns are managed ineffectively. Proper management of, and communication around, labour issues such as worker pay and working conditions may prevent conflicts with workers that may result in extended strikes, which can slow or stop operations and create reputational risk. Waste management entities need a long-term perspective on managing workers—including their pay and benefits—in a way that protects workers’ rights and enhances productivity while ensuring the financial sustainability of an entity’s operations.
    • Employee Health & Safety The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
      • Workforce Health & Safety The industry’s hazardous working conditions make safety a critical issue for waste management operations, and accidents can have a significant impact on workers. The Waste Management industry has higher fatality rates than most industries. Fatalities and other injuries are caused primarily by transportation incidents, contact with hazardous objects and equipment, and exposure to harmful substances. Additionally, temporary workers may be at increased risk because of a lack of training or industry experience. Poor health and safety records may result in fines and penalties, increased regulatory compliance costs and more stringent oversight. Waste management entities must ensure facilities and vehicles are operated with the highest safety standards and that the number of injuries and accidents is minimised through a strong safety culture. Entities that develop proactive safety management plans and training requirements for employees and contractors, including conducting regular audits, may improve workforce safety and minimise the chance of safety-related financial repercussions.
    • Product Design & Lifecycle Management The category addresses incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in characteristics of products and services provided or sold by the company. It includes, but is not limited to, managing the lifecycle impacts of products and services, such as those related to packaging, distribution, use-phase resource intensity, and other environmental and social externalities that may occur during their use-phase or at the end of life. The category captures a company’s ability to address customer and societal demand for more sustainable products and services as well as to meet evolving environmental and social regulation. It does not address direct environmental or social impacts of the company’s operations nor does it address health and safety risks to consumers from product use, which are covered in other categories.
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    • Business Model Resilience The category addresses an industry’s capacity to manage risks and opportunities associated with incorporating social, environmental, and political transitions into long-term business model planning. This includes responsiveness to the transition to a low-carbon and climate-constrained economy, as well as growth and creation of new markets among unserved and underserved socio-economic populations. The category highlights industries in which evolving environmental and social realities may challenge companies to fundamentally adapt or may put their business models at risk.
      • Recycling & Resource Recovery Recycling, reuse, composting and incineration are general methods of diverting waste from landfills. Landfill diversion can mitigate some of the environmental impacts of landfills and reduce the need for landfill expansion. Additionally, waste management entities play a critical role in the circular economy by separating and recovering reusable materials such as paper, glass, metal, organic materials and electronic waste. New regulations, customer demand and the increasing costs of extracting virgin materials are encouraging the development of a circular economy. As a result, waste management entities are facing a decrease in landfilled waste and an expanding recycling market. Cradle-to-cradle approaches initiated by other industries may fail if the recovery and recycling infrastructure or technologies do not exist. Entities that provide recycling and other resource recovery services will address changing consumer needs better, thereby positioning themselves for revenue growth while playing a critical role in reducing the environmental impact of the wider economy.
    • Supply Chain Management The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
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  • Household & Personal Products Remove
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    • GHG Emissions The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
      None
    • Air Quality The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
      None
    • Water & Wastewater Management The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
      • Water Management Water is vital to the Household & Personal Products industry, both as a coolant in manufacturing processes and as a main input for many of the industry’s products. Water is becoming a scarce resource around the world because of population growth and increasing consumption, rapid urbanisation, and declining supplies because of subsurface aquifer depletion, drought and climate change. Many entities in this industry have operations in regions of the world facing water scarcity. Without careful planning, entities could face increased costs or lose water access in these regions, which may be a risk to production. Having rigorous checks in place to ensure a steady supply of water to all factories, as well as investing in technology to increase water use efficiency, will help entities reduce water-related risks as water scarcity becomes an increasingly global issue.
    • Waste & Hazardous Materials Management The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
      None
    • Product Quality & Safety The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
      • Product Environmental, Health and Safety Performance The Household & Personal Products industry faces consumer and regulatory scrutiny over the use of chemicals of concern, which have been linked to adverse effects on human health and the environment. These chemicals include persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances and carcinogenic, mutagen or teratogenic chemicals. Isolating and determining causal channels for negative impacts on health and the environment is difficult, which often results in a significant delay between a product’s market introduction and the point at which regulation or public opinion demands entities in the industry to reformulate harmful chemicals. Applicable jurisdictional laws and regulations place restrictions on, or suggest alternatives to, the use of harmful chemicals within the industry. Large retailers have implemented programmes to ban chemicals of concern in the products they sell, placing greater pressure on the industry. Entities that anticipate the changing regulatory landscape and implement stricter processes and testing are more likely to gain a competitive advantage. Early adopters of innovations in green chemistry and the reduction of chemicals of concern may improve profitability by being better able to capture changing customer demand and avoid regulatory burdens.
    • Labour Practices The category addresses the company’s ability to uphold commonly accepted labour standards in the workplace, including compliance with labour laws and internationally accepted norms and standards. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring basic human rights related to child labour, forced or bonded labour, exploitative labour, fair wages and overtime pay, and other basic workers’ rights. It also includes minimum wage policies and provision of benefits, which may influence how a workforce is attracted, retained, and motivated. The category further addresses a company’s relationship with organized labour and freedom of association.
      None
    • Employee Health & Safety The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
      None
    • Product Design & Lifecycle Management The category addresses incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in characteristics of products and services provided or sold by the company. It includes, but is not limited to, managing the lifecycle impacts of products and services, such as those related to packaging, distribution, use-phase resource intensity, and other environmental and social externalities that may occur during their use-phase or at the end of life. The category captures a company’s ability to address customer and societal demand for more sustainable products and services as well as to meet evolving environmental and social regulation. It does not address direct environmental or social impacts of the company’s operations nor does it address health and safety risks to consumers from product use, which are covered in other categories.
      • Packaging Lifecycle Management The Household & Personal Products industry uses a large quantity of materials for product packaging, which often constitutes a significant portion of entities’ expenses. Packaging design, particularly packaging weight, has direct consequences for transportation expenses, which can be significant. The industry also faces pressure from both consumers and large retail outlets to manage the negative environmental externalities associated with packaging because of material extraction and waste. The sustainability performance of packaging depends largely on the type, use and ultimate disposal of materials. However, entities that effectively manage the sustainability characteristics of their product packaging—including developing light-weight, using recycled content and recyclable materials and adopting sustainably sourced materials—may be positioned better to capture shifting consumer demand and avoid (or mitigate) the effects of regulation related to extended producer responsibility. By managing the sustainability of product packaging, entities also potentially can reduce input and transportation costs.
    • Business Model Resilience The category addresses an industry’s capacity to manage risks and opportunities associated with incorporating social, environmental, and political transitions into long-term business model planning. This includes responsiveness to the transition to a low-carbon and climate-constrained economy, as well as growth and creation of new markets among unserved and underserved socio-economic populations. The category highlights industries in which evolving environmental and social realities may challenge companies to fundamentally adapt or may put their business models at risk.
      None
    • Supply Chain Management The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
      • Environmental & Social Impacts of Palm Oil Supply Chain Palm oil has increased in popularity as a cheap input for a wide range of goods in the Household & Personal Products industry, including cleaning products, candles and cosmetics. Palm oil harvesting in specific regions of the world may contribute to deforestation, GHG emissions and other environmental and social problems. If not sourced responsibly, palm oil materials contribute to environmental and social externalities that can present reputational and regulatory risks for entities. Furthermore, entities in this industry are exposed to the risk of supply chain disruptions, input price increases and reputational damage associated with environmental and social externalities from palm oil sourcing. Entities face pressure to track and responsibly source palm oil and ensure minimum working condition standards in the supply chain, because palm oil production often is associated with labour issues. Implementing sourcing standards can reduce these risks, as can product-design phase innovations to reduce dependence on controversial materials such as palm oil.

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