Triple Materiality (the short version)

Adding a third layer to the Double Materiality Assessment

We’ve already written a text on this subject, but it is quite long. So, for those of you who simply don’t have the time or energy to get stuck into that: Please read this “TL;DR” version instead.

Let’s do this.

Last year, the sustainability world buzzed with anticipation and worry over the EU’s incoming wave of regulations. Fast-forward a bit and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) became a reality, demanding transparency from over 50,000 companies. We’re talking deep changes, not just minor tweaks. For us sustainability nerds, this is huge.

The new sustainability reporting standards (ESRS) include the Double Materiality Assessment (DMA), which reveals a company’s negative and positive impact on a sustainable development. It also pinpoints the financial risks driven by the climate crisis, for example.

So, the DMA reveals strengths and vulnerabilities, but it doesn’t offer solutions. Adapteo decided to take it a step further, because a diagnosis without a remedy doesn’t really help anyone.

And ta-da! This resulted in a little concept we now call the Triple Materiality Assessment.

We added a third layer to the DMA: Adapteo’s ambitious business plan for growth. The aim was to identify initiatives that could help us minimize our footprint whilst maximizing our business growth. The result? Over 50 initiatives, which were then boiled down to a shortlist.

The way we see it, our approach goes beyond following rules—it’s our competitive edge. We’ve integrated sustainability into our operations, mapped regulations to our strategy, and developed strong business cases.

Best part? We’re going to do it annually.

Now, if you want to read the long and elaborate version of this text, head this way. How you make an adaptive mindset a tool for better business