ESA’s double materiality matrix

In preparation for the Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive (CSRD), ESA commissioned an independent third party to conduct a double materiality assessment (DMA) across the agency’s value chain and activities to identify and evaluate sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities. This assessment helps integrate stakeholders’ perspectives on the influence that ESA has on the environment and/or society, and vice-versa.

As part of the process, a double materiality matrix is created to better visualise sustainability topics important to ESA and its stakeholder community. It helps to shape the future sustainability strategy and identifies the topics on which ESA will report in the future.

Although ESA is not required to report according to the CSRD, the double materiality assessment aids in comprehensive decision-making to align with our long-term sustainability strategy and stakeholders’ expectations.

Methodology

The team interviewed and surveyed individuals across seven stakeholder groups: ESA, Member States, space agencies, industry, academia, organisations (i.e. nongovernmental and nonprofit organisations) and the public. The people were asked to first determine which sustainability issues to include and then to score them for prioritisation. 

An Impact, Risk and Opportunity assessment was conducted using a quantitative approach to identify priority items across the shortlisted topics, for both the in-out and out-in perspective across the impacts’ direction, scale, scope, remediability and likelihood.

Fifteen topics, including 71 subtopics, were identified as material. To see the full list of topics and subtopics, please click HERE. 

Our chosen approach aligns with European Sustainability Reporting Standards, where remediability is not included for positive impacts. Even though ESA is not in scope of CSRD and ESRS, the double materiality assessment is based on the underlying methodology to ensure a best-practices approach.

Outcomes