Sustainability & ESG

3R will work with you to conduct a materiality assessment focused on identifying topics that are financially, environmentally and socially important to your organization. The team we tailor for your unique project will equip you with the education and understanding of the process from industry analysis, stakeholder engagement through prioritization of impacts. With an emphasize on partnership, the 3R team provides an expert level of support that can equip your team with an understanding of the process from industry analysis and stakeholder engagement through prioritization of impacts.

Materiality is a principle commonly understood in financial reporting as all items that are reasonably likely to impact investors’ decision making. Similar in concept, materiality in sustainability reporting includes topics deemed relevant to stakeholders and the business. The GRI Standards (Global Reporting Initiative) has dubbed this financial and impact materiality as double materiality and sustainability reports should use double materiality to disclose impacts.

Once identified, an organization’s material topics aid in setting a foundation for its sustainability strategy and assists in the prioritization of initiatives. The process to identify and determine material topics requires multi-stakeholder considerations and engagements. Informed by GRI’s guidance, material topics as identified in the process outlined below, should be reassessed with each reporting cycle based on changes in an organization’s structure, services, business relationships etc.

1. Discovery Analysis- this step involves an analysis and understanding of the organization’s industry and context.​
2. Identify Topics- this step involves identifying actual and potential impacts on identified stakeholders.​
3. Assess Topics- this step involves the organization assessing the significance of its identified impacts.
4. Prioritize Topics for Reporting- this step involves determining the material topics for reporting by prioritizing organizational impacts based on their significance. Each impact is assessed, compared to one another, and then provided a significance level, where the organization should rank its impacts from most to least significant and define a threshold to choose which of the impacts it will focus on reporting.

Related Impact Areas

With the mindset that sustainable business is simply good business, the 3R team works with you to identify pathways to integrate sustainability initiatives into existing business plans. To best understand where to prioritize resources and efforts, 3R can support your company in conducting Sustainability Audits or Assessments to a wide range of standards or frameworks.

Alongside the results from your materiality assessment and any identified opportunities for improvement or corrective actions, we will recommend actionable initiatives to support your company achieve its goals and add business value. With this prioritized road map for improvement, 3R can then work with you to implement the plan.

With our Sustainability Strategy and Planning services, you’ll gain a better understanding of the necessary resources and time required to achieve your goals and the confidence to communicate your plans to stakeholders.

Related Impact Areas

The consultants at 3R are experts in the various reporting frameworks, standards, and regulations. Our processes to prepare a sustainability report are aligned with industry best practices and are tailored to meet you where you are on your sustainability journey.

The sustainability reporting landscape is complex and ever evolving and stakeholders are quick to call out unsupported claims. With our sustainability reporting services, you’ll gain a comprehensive narrative that demonstrates your progress, commitments, and plans to your stakeholders. Our expert consultants work with you each step of the way to create a report that is prepared to obtain third-party assurance if desired. Visit the site of our assurance partner, Sustainability Assurance Services (SAS), to learn more about report assurance.

The Value of Sustainability Reporting:

• Regulatory Compliance: 3R can prepare reports in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). CSRD-compliant reporting meets the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the regulatory requirements from the CSRD.
• Prioritization & Risk Management: Preparation for an annual sustainability report can and should include thorough review of sustainability-related impacts, risks, and opportunities with a level of rigor that builds confidence in the prioritization of these topics.
• Reputation Enhancement: Sustainability reporting demonstrates and communicates sustainability efforts and commitments to internal and external stakeholders.
• Centralized Communication: 3R’s knowledge of annual raters, rankers, and assessments means that when we work with you to create a sustainability report, we can ensure that the information and data is collected and reported in a way that supports your submissions and scores with these external agencies (such as CDP, EcoVadis, and GRESB),

3R’s Responsibilities:

• Data Collection:
  • Collaborate across departments to track and report the relevant data points necessary for the desired reporting structure. 3R supports reporting using the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), GRI, ISSB, SASB, the UN SDGs, and more.     
• Content Drafting:
  • Draft content to communicate goals, performance, and progress using the desired or necessary standard(s), framework(s), or regulation(s).
  • Manage the review and approval process across the organization.
• Report Design:
  • 3R retains an in-house design team to support the effective communication of your sustainability-related information. This includes copyediting and proofreading for clients.

Related Impact Areas

3R’s policy experts will work with your company to identify existing commitments and industry best practice to inform policy updates or generate new policies. Depending on your individual company’s goals, 3R can spearhead policy creation related to environmental, health and safety, sustainable procurement, labor standards and human rights, and much more.

Informed by industry frameworks, standards and rating systems such as the UN Global Compact, EcoVadis and GRI, 3R takes a holistic approach to assessing and recommending improvements to your company’s management approach to a given topic. Our policy writing services will provide your company with the industry expertise and bandwidth required to establish meaningful and operational policies to formalize commitments and guide your sustainability journey.

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3R can help you make sense of the increasing amount of ESG rating systems and certifications, and help you incorporate sustainability into your management systems. Utilizing our knowledge of your company, industry, and our deep expertise in ESG ratings and certifications, the 3R team can help you realize the value of utilizing a rating system or certification to support internal change management and drive business resiliency.

While each ESG rating system and assessment has its own methodology, they are nearly all centered around many similar topics. The 3R team can assist your company in choosing a rating system that is in line with your sustainability commitments and determine a prioritized plan to improve your corporate rating.

Related Impact Areas

3R’s approach to sustainability is rooted in science and supported by data. With that in mind, we approach every project with potential validation in mind. Our consultants prepare GHG inventories in line with the GHG Protocol and ISO14064. With each GHG inventory, you receive a report that is ready for validation.

If you choose to partner with 3R for conducting your materiality assessment, ESG planning and reporting, you can have confidence that your sustainability management and reporting was prepared in accordance with the AA1000 Accountability Principles. The AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS v3) serves as a standard for assurance on sustainability information across organizations of all types, based on the effective application of the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles.

We partner with a third-party assurance provider to support your validation needs, if requested.

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