What is a Materiality Assessment?
A Materiality Assessment (also called an ESG materiality assessment) is a tool that finds the sustainability and ESG issues that are most important to your organization.
Once a voluntary measure, materiality has moved into the regulatory mainstream for companies. Getting a materiality assessment is an essential first step to building consensus around your sustainability and ESG initiatives, based on your team’s values and company performance.
What determines how the Materiality Assessment is developed?
Your organization’s priorities, industry, stakeholders, and compliance requirements are the driving force behind how your materiality assessment is developed. In the end, the assessment will deliver a clear picture of the ESG issues impacting your organization and the actions to take to drive strategic value.
The Benefits of a Materiality Assessment
Compliance with New Guidelines
Comply with emerging U.S. SEC and European sustainability guidelines including CSRD (the Double Materiality framework)
Clarity on Sustainability & ESG
A concrete, comprehensive definition of what sustainability means for your organization, both in terms of risk and opportunity
Common Vision
Consensus and understanding between departments on issues that impact risk, value and performance
Data-Driven & Comprehensive Research
A comprehensive index of material issues based on internal and external stakeholder data
Our Proven Approach to Materiality Assessments
More than a matrix – a springboard to good governance, accountability, and action.
Tailored to your organization’s ambition, compliance requirements, budget, and strategic goals, our materiality assessment delivers more than a matrix. It is a springboard to good governance, accountability, and action.
More than a matrix – a springboard to good governance, accountability, and action.
Tailored to your organization’s ambition, compliance requirements, budget, and strategic goals, our materiality assessment delivers more than a matrix. It is a springboard to good governance, accountability, and action.
Materiality Assessment Case Study: Memorial Sloan Kettering
Long at the forefront of sustainability in the health care sector, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) sought to further elevate sustainability culture across their organization. Their team brought in Third Partners to conduct customized interviews with administrative and professional healthcare staff to determine their perspectives on sustainability. Our research experts also facilitated interviews with key suppliers to include the outlook of external stakeholders. We then crafted and distributed an organization-wide survey. Together, these activities generated qualitative and quantitative insights that informed a materiality assessment and provided a clear mandate for MSK on sustainability issues.
Materiality Assessment FAQ