Materiality analysis & Stakeholder engagement
Beyond the checklist
Materiality is the centre of gravity for any long term sustainability exercise. It is more than a reporting requirement. It can be viewed as a strategic compass for sustainability; backbone of a credible sustainability strategy.It is carefully crafted as the heart of sustainability as it counters assessments on data that can help understand some areas, but it is missing the chance to identify what truly matters.
At SAGE Sustainability, we help organisations move from formality to focus. We treat materiality as a strategic tool that sharpens priorities, deepens stakeholder trust, and informs decisions with lasting impact.
With global standards evolving from GRI 2021 to CSRD/ESRS; the concept of double materiality which was always inherently a part of materiality assessment, has now become central and more visible. This means looking both ways:
Financial materiality: How sustainability issues affect your business.
Impact materiality: How your business affects society and the environment.
This dual lens helps compliance, however, the real value is what an organisation wants to get out of it, which is fixing accountability, resilience, and forward-looking strategy.
FAQ's
How often should we update our materiality assessment?
We recommend a full reassessment every 2–3 years or when there are major shifts in your business model, stakeholder expectations, or regulatory landscape. Annual light-touch updates can help maintain relevance between cycles.
What’s the difference between materiality and double materiality?
Materiality focuses on impact on stakeholders and business. Double materiality clarifies how sustainability impacts company’s financial performance and how the company impacts society and environment. Double materiality is required under CSRD/ESRS.
How do we decide which stakeholders to engage with?
It is context driven, however, using a structured approach, this exercise can be carriesd out to assess vulnerability, influence, dependency etc. This ensures a balanced and meaningful sample of voices across your ecosystem.
How can we ensure our process meets GRI, CSRD/ESRS, and BRSR requirements?
Our methodology aligns with the latest versions of each framework and integrates their respective criteria for topic identification, stakeholder input, and disclosure relevance.
What methods are used to engage stakeholders?
We use a mix of digital surveys, interviews, workshops, social listening, and analysis of existing feedback (like grievance logs). The choice depends on the stakeholder group and engagement goals, and many other factors.
What we offer
We combine rigour and relevance through
Materiality assessments aligned with GRI 2021, ESRS, BRSR
Stakeholder identification and mapping
Digital surveys, interviews, workshops, grievance analysis
Material topic mapping under single or double materiality
Validation with leadership teams
Reporting-ready outputs for GRI, CSRD
Materiality Matrix and closing the feedback loop internally
Our collaborative process:
Scoping & planning
Define boundaries, understand business context, and align on applicable frameworks (GRI, CSRD)
Stakeholder mapping & engagement
Identify key internal and external stakeholders, and design the right mix of surveys, interviews, and workshops.
Material topic analysis
Apply materiality or double materiality lenses to assess significance across financial and impact dimensions.
Validation & Integration
Facilitate leadership reviews and link findings to ESG goals, KPIs, and risk registers.
Reporting & Communication
Prepare disclosure-ready outputs aligned with regulatory and global standards for internal and external audiences.
Outcomes you can expect:
Stakeholder map & Engagement summary
A clear identification of key internal and external stakeholders, supported by a tailored engagement plan and a summary of themes, insights, and methods used.
Validated materiality matrix
A prioritised view of ESG issues based on business impact and stakeholder relevance, stress-tested with leadership.
Framework-aligned topic mapping
Material topics mapped to GRI 2021, CSRD/ESRS, SDGs, and other relevant global and regulatory frameworks.
Strategy integration brief
Insights translated into ESG goals, risk registers, KPIs, and inputs for capital allocation and strategic planning.
Disclosure-ready outputs
Clean, structured content for GRI, CSRD and integrated reporting-ready for internal and external communication.
Where are you on your Materiality journey?
Whether you are conducting your first materiality assessment or evolving toward double materiality, we meet you where you are. For early-stage organisations, we simplify the process, clarifying what to measure and whom to engage. For those already reporting, we bring rigour, stakeholder depth, and alignment with frameworks such as GRI, and CSRD. And for sustainability leaders, we integrate materiality into enterprise risk, governance, and strategy. Wherever you are, we help make materiality a catalyst for meaningful action.
Our approach
A process designed to be inclusive, credible, and strategic.
Scope: Define boundaries and the contexts of regulatory, geographic, operational.
Map Stakeholders: Prioritise by influence, proximity, representation.
Engage: Design and deploy surveys, interviews, grievance reviews, and workshops.
Analyse: Apply double materiality, financial and impact lenses, with significance filters.
Validate: Facilitate executive and board-level review sessions.
Integrate: Link findings to ESG risks, KPIs, strategy, and reporting.
Why choose SAGE for your Material analysis & engagement?
Our approach is distinguished by:
Aligned expertise: We align your materiality process with GRI, CSRD,and more ensuring compliance today and readiness for tomorrow.
Strategy-driven approach: Our assessments directly inform your ESG goals, risk registers, and business strategy and help in disclosures.
Stakeholder engagement that builds trust: We create safe, respectful spaces for all voices, ensuring meaningful insights, not just data collection.
Methodological rigor: Every step is evidence-based and well-documented, giving you a defensible, auditable process.
Multi-framework efficiency: We design a single process that satisfies multiple reporting frameworks and avoids stakeholder fatigue.
Sector-specific insight: Our recommendations are grounded in deep understanding of your industry’s risks, peers, and regulations.
Practical, actionable outputs: We deliver tools you’ll actually use, like board-ready matrices, roadmap inputs, and KPI linkages.
