The company that aims to be sustainable, aligning your actions with the ESG concept, there is a long way to go. On this journey, a fundamental step is the definition of its materiality
Materiality can be understood as the definition of relevant themes for the organization, regarding strategies and practices of environmental sustainability, social and governance. It is related to the main impacts that the organization promotes or is subject to, and also to the opportunities linked to each of its risks
Whether large corporations or small and medium enterprises, it is essential to consider the particularities of organizations, even if they operate in the same field
The impact of issues on business is not the only aspect to be considered through the lens of materiality. In the same way, it is essential to shed light on what matters to stakeholders, what are the collaborators, suppliers, clients, consumers, all the added parts, finally, in this process
Each stakeholder has different affinities and understandings of what is most relevant in their daily lives. Depending on social conditions, economic, environmental, political and even geographical, a collaborator can list among other important issues labor practices, diversity or relationship with leadership. For the local community, the relevance of the business may be, for example, the potential to generate jobs. From the employee's point of view, the greater interest is sometimes the employer brand
In the face of so many specific interests and needs, materiality allows understanding the relevance and impact that the topics bring to the business, and contributes to the definition of action priorities, definition of goals and strategies and reporting of results to all your stakeholders
This understanding provided by precise materiality, necessarily, interpret the biases revealed by each stakeholder. In this sense, we reinforce the importance of understanding "people" to develop appropriate processes, cohesive and with real results
With the perspective of reducing the risks associated with these biases, we present three points that should not be overlooked on the journey
The first of them is to establish a relationship of trust with each group of stakeholders, precisely so that there is genuine interest in providing correct and appropriate information for evaluation
The second provision deals with clarifying each of the substantive topics, align expectations and provide understanding
Not less important, we emphasize the need to understand the groups of stakeholders and tailor communication with each of them. We can't always use acronyms, terms in English or technical references, if our proposal is to ensure the understanding of the stakeholders
Sustainability and the adoption of ESG practices not only differentiate a company in the market in 2025. They truly add an environmentally responsible performance aligned with the social development that is so needed this year, always taking into account the current scenario and the context in which the company is inserted
