Väsentlighet i praktiken : En studie av hur företag utformar och utvecklar väsentlighetsprocesser i samband med införandet av CSRD

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this study is to analyze how companies design and develop their materiality processes over time and how these processes differ between the banking and energy sectors in the context of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The study adopts a qualitative research approach. Data is collected through document analysis of sustainability reports and annual reports from a total 14 companies within the banking and energy sectors covering the period 2023–2025. The material is analyzed through a comparative analysis over time and between sectors. In addition, semistructured interviews are conducted with respondents from two companies, one within the banking sector and one within the energy sector, in order to complement and deepen the understanding of how the processes are carried out in practice. The empirical material is analyzed thematically with a focus on process structure, stakeholder involvement, and applied methods and assessment models. The findings show that materiality processes are becoming increasingly structured, formalized, and aligned with ESRS, including clear steps such as the identification of impacts, risks, and opportunities, the assessment of impact and financial materiality, and the final determination through thresholds. At the same time, variation remains in how these processes are implemented in practice. The banking sector is characterized by integration into financial risk models and internal governance systems, whereas the energy sector places greater emphasis on physical impacts, value chains, and external relationships. Furthermore, stakeholder involvement is central but phase dependent, with external actors mainly contributing to the identification stage, while internal functions dominate assessment and decision-making. Methods are becoming more quantified, yet assessments remain dependent on organizational interpretation. The study concludes that standardization primarily occurs at a formal level, while practical implementation remains context dependent. This implies that materiality processes do not develop as a uniform model but are shaped by organizational and sector-specific conditions.