double materiality
why it matters
A robust understanding of which impacts, financial risks and opportunities are most significant is the absolute best place to start when developing an effective strategy and/or when embarking on sustainability disclosures.
The term "double" in "double materiality" refers to the inclusion of impact alongside financial materiality (risks and opportunities). This demonstrates that a company is looking outward as well as inward and underpins new European CSRD reporting as well as the longer-established GRI sustainability reporting standards.
what we do
We orchestrate a detailed diagnostic of a company’s (and its value chain’s) impacts and dependencies on people and the planet and the resulting financial risks and opportunities. We spent a lot of time - and brain power - developing what we firmly believe is a genuinely leading approach and one that is fully aligned to new EU reporting requirements (CSRD).
The outputs of our double materiality work underpin value growth and meaningful positive impact through better-targeted strategy, highly prioritised effort and effective reporting.
our strengths
what's involved
Our (we believe) leading and CSRD-aligned double materiality assessment is developed in four stages:
Identification
Identify actual and potential impacts and dependencies across a company's full value chain and understand resulting financial risks and opportunities.
Refine from 'long list' to 'short list' of potentially material impacts, risks and opportunities.
Stakeholders
Gather internal and external stakeholder views on how the company impacts them, via online survey, conversations, and analysis of existing stakeholder information.
Leading tools are used to assess climate and nature impacts ("silent stakeholders")
Materiality
Develop impact and financial materiality scores using our proprietary tool.
This assesses the severity (or magnitude) and likelihood of the identified impacts, risks and opportunities.
Action
Recommended next steps depend on what stage the company is at and the original purpose of the double materiality exercise. These may include:
- strategic framework
- gaps to fill
- reprioritisation of actions
- reporting structures / content
how it works
Our tried and tested four stage process typically runs for between six and twelve weeks, depending on company size and complexity and the availability of stakeholders.
Although there are significant elements of desktop work, this is an interactive process involving key members of the client's senior team, subject matter experts, those responsible for stakeholder relationships and the stakeholders themselves. That said, we've honed our process to minimise effort and maximise output.
