Materiality Assessments That Drive Meaningful Impact
Fosterra helps clients uncover what truly matters for their business, stakeholders, customers, and environment. A materiality assessment is much more than ticking a box for ESG reporting. It enables informed decisions, focused efforts and investment, and lays a foundation for a sustainability strategy that is built to last.
Why Materiality Matters
Understanding which environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues matter most is the starting point for any meaningful sustainability journey. A materiality assessment helps organisstions:
Prioritize what’s relevant and avoid spreading resources too thin across low-impact areas.
Meet stakeholder expectations including employees, customers, communities, and investors.
Comply with standards and reporting frameworks includng CSRD, GRI, SASB, or ISSB.
Drive real impact and returns by turning insight into action.
We work closely with our clients to “go beyond the matrix” by creating a comprehensive strategy for focus areas with high impact to stakeholders and the business.
What is materiality?
Materiality is about identifying what truly matters. It refers to ESG issues that are most significant to a company’s success—and to its stakeholders.
A Materiality Assessement is a structured process used to determine which ESG issues are most relevant to your business and stakeholders. It combines internal insights with external expectations by gathering input from employees, investors, customers, regulators, and communities to help you focus on the areas where your company can have the greatest impact and create the most value.
At Fosterra, we guide you through this process to ensure your sustainability strategy is both focused and future-proof.
Adding a Broader Perspective: What is Double Materiality?
As expectations evolve, companies are being asked to consider not just what matters to them, but also how they matter to the world. That’s where double materiality comes in. It looks at sustainability from two interrelated perspectives:
How environmental and social issues affect your business
How your business impacts people and the planet
This broader lens is increasingly central to global regulations and stakeholder expectations. The double materiality approach helps you align strategy, compliance, and purpose so you can sustain a business that thrives in every dimension.
How we help
Our team tailors every assessment to your unique context. Whether you are starting from scratch or refreshing an outdated matrix, we bring clarity, structure, and expertise to develop your strategic vision.
Our approach
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The journey begins by aligning objectives, scope, and timelines to ensure the assessment fits the organization’s business context, regulatory needs, and strategic ambitions. This phase lays the groundwork for a focused and efficient engagement.
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Key internal and external stakeholders are mapped, followed by the design of a tailored engagement strategy. Surveys, interviews, or workshops are selected based on what best captures insights needed to guide decision-making.
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Relevant inputs—from stakeholder feedback to industry benchmarks and internal documents—are gathered and reviewed. Early patterns and priorities begin to emerge, setting the stage for focused materiality analysis.
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Material ESG topics are identified and assessed based on their significance both business performance and stakeholder expectations. Prioritization is guided by frameworks like GRI, CSRD, or SASB depending on your reporting needs.
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Climate-related and supply chain risks and opportunities are analyzed in line with global frameworks and business goals. This adds depth to the assessment by integrating transition and physical risks into the materiality matrix.
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Findings are reviewed and refined in collaboration with leadership and relevant stakeholders. This step ensures alignment, builds ownership and confirms that the priorities reflect both internal strategy and external relevance.
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Results are compiled into a clear, visual materiality matrix accompanied by key insights and an actionable roadmap. These outputs are designed to inform strategy, engage stakeholders, and support transparent ESG reporting.
What sets Fosterra apart
Expert-Led, Action-Focused: technical ESG knowledge, translated into practical, usable guidance.
More Than a Matrix: our work drives strategy, not just reporting.
Part of Your Bigger Picture: materiality is integrated into your wider sustainability journey.
Risk Insight and Planning: location-based assessments of risks and challenges are identified across the entire value chain.
Balanced and Relevant: compliance and stakeholder relevance go hand in hand.