materiality
how important something is for deciding or judging something
The quality or degree of being important or relevant enough to affect a decision, judgment, report, or outcome.
the real physical quality of something that you can see, touch, or sense
The tangible physical character, substance, or presence of something, especially as opposed to its idea, image, or abstract meaning.
- Base: materiality
- Plural: materialities
double materiality
1two-sided sustainability importance
a reporting idea that looks at impacts in two directions: on the company and by the company
- Under double materiality, the report covers both financial risks to the company and the company's impacts on society.
- European sustainability rules have made double materiality a central concept for many businesses.
- The consultants helped the firm apply double materiality to its climate and human rights disclosures.
- Double materiality looks at the company and the outside world.
- The report used double materiality for ESG topics.
financial materiality
1financially important impact
how much an issue matters to a company's money, value, or investors
- Investors focused on the financial materiality of the company's water risks.
- The report separates financial materiality from broader environmental impact.
- Management assessed the financial materiality of possible supply-chain disruptions.
- The risk had high financial materiality.
- They studied the financial materiality of the new rule.
materiality assessment
1review of important issues
a business review that finds which topics matter most
- The company conducted a materiality assessment before writing its sustainability report.
- A good materiality assessment includes input from employees, customers, investors, and communities.
- The board used the materiality assessment to decide which risks needed more attention.
- The company did a materiality assessment for its ESG report.
- The assessment showed which issues were most important.
materiality matrix
1chart of priority issues
a chart that shows which business or sustainability topics matter most
- The sustainability report includes a materiality matrix showing climate risk as a top priority.
- The team plotted customer privacy and employee safety on the materiality matrix.
- A materiality matrix can help managers compare stakeholder concerns with business impact.
- The materiality matrix showed the top issues.
- Climate risk was high on the materiality matrix.
materiality principle
1rule for significant information
an accounting rule that says important information must not be left out or ignored
- Under the materiality principle, minor rounding differences may not need separate disclosure.
- The accountant applied the materiality principle when deciding whether the error affected the financial statements.
- The materiality principle helps companies focus reports on information that could change users' decisions.
- The accountant used the materiality principle.
- The rule helps decide which errors matter.
materiality threshold
1minimum significant amount
the point where something becomes important enough to affect a decision
- The auditors set a materiality threshold before testing the financial statements.
- The error was below the materiality threshold, so it did not require a restatement.
- Legal teams often consider whether a fact meets the materiality threshold for disclosure.
- The mistake was below the materiality threshold.
- The auditor set a materiality threshold for the review.