“Materiality is a concept that defines why and how certain issues are important for a company or a business sector. A material issue can have a major impact on the financial, economic, reputational, and legal aspects of a company, as well as on the system of internal and external stakeholders of that company.” Datamaran, Materiality Definitions: The Ultimate Guide
Not all sustainability topics matter equally for every company. What’s material depends on your product, customers, business model, and growth stage.
This page helps you:
You don’t need to solve everything. Just start where it matters most and what drives performance, resilience, and trust.
Use the table below to spot how sustainability intersects with your growth, operations, or investor readiness.
| Sustainability lever | Business outcome | Starter moves |
|---|---|---|
| Culture & employment | Attract talent, retain speed & trust | Define core values, inclusive hiring, early rituals |
| Product design | Build loyalty, reduce risk | Embed trust cues (transparency, accessibility, safety) |
| Data & cybersecurity | Accelerate sales, stay compliant | Document policies, plan for breach response |
| Environmental impact | Lower costs, prep for regulation | Reduce resource intensity, map climate exposure |
| Supply chain management | Improve margins, increase resilience | Map suppliers, add simple ESG criteria |
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These levers connect directly to the Core Focus Areas in the Toolkit.
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Use this tool to identify and prioritize sustainability issues most relevant to your business. This helps guide strategy, product decisions, and investor conversations.
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Materiality evolves with your business. As your company grows, enters new markets, or engages different stakeholders, what’s material will shift. Reassess regularly to stay relevant and strategic.
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Different industries face different sustainability expectations. Use this map to see what issues commonly show up in your sector.
📌 Tips for using the map: