Materiality Still Matters: Working Out Where to Focus
Most businesses now have a solid set of sustainability initiatives underway - across operations, reporting, supply chain, and people. But a common question we hear is: Are we focusing on the right things?
That’s where a materiality assessment comes in. It’s a structured process to work out which sustainability issues are most important - to your business, your stakeholders, and your future.
Starting with materiality delivers clarity and focus. It helps ensure the work you’re already doing counts - and that your time and resources are aimed at the issues that matter most to customers, investors, and regulators.
A Strategic Filter: Streamline Your Efforts
Materiality is the process used to identify which sustainability issues are most important to your business, to your stakeholders, and your future. It brings focus and efficiency by aligning sustainability efforts with what really drives risk, value, and trust.
Done well, it helps you:
Prioritise where to invest time and resources
Align teams on a common set of priorities
Streamline sustainability plans and disclosures
Build credibility with customers, investors, and regulators
The Process in Five Steps
At Thrive, we keep it straightforward and outcome-focused. A typical materiality assessment includes:
Mapping business impacts – across your operations, value chain, and wider footprint
Assessing significance – which issues have the most material impact or risk
Summarising the key topics – into 10–15 sustainability themes that reflect the business
Speaking to stakeholders – understand what matters most to your customers, employees, and investors
Prioritising – identifying the 6–10 areas that deserve leadership focus
Start with Materiality, Then Build
Whether you're preparing for investor discussions, gearing up for reporting, or refreshing your roadmap, materiality is the place to start.
It helps ensure your sustainability efforts are relevant, proportionate, and commercially grounded.
Thrive’s Practical Support
We’ve developed a Materiality Workbook that makes this process fast and focused - cutting through complexity without losing credibility.
It’s designed for mid-sized businesses that need to move efficiently without reinventing the wheel.
If you’d like to see how it works or talk through how it might apply in your context, we’d be happy to help.
📩 jane@thethrivebusiness.com