Who we areProductsMediaCareer
Home
Who we are
Sustainability
Management, goals and dialog
Management
Topics

Sustainability

Identification and Management of Sustainability Topics

Sustainability topics and materiality assessment

The identification of those sustainability topics that matter most to our business and our stakeholders is an important foundation of our approach to sustainable development. We use the results to constantly enhance our sustainability management tools. They also provide a basis for guiding corporate processes to identify and manage potential opportunities and risks. The Materiality Assessment based on this is an essential element specifically of corporate reporting.

To derive the topics that are material for BASF we developed a new process in 2022 reflecting the recent changes in frameworks and regulations. We are using the concept of double materiality which acknowledges the two dimensions of impact materiality and financial materiality and taking into account positive and negative impacts along the value chain. In an update in 2023, we examined whether new topics had arisen or if the materiality of the topics from the previous years had significantly changed.

Following this concept, we have derived the following eleven material topics (in alphabetical order):

Variety of life on Earth and foundation for ecosystem services that are essential for nature and human well-being.
  1. Find out more
Responsible business conduct based on values, principles and practices.
  1. Find out more
Release of substances into air and soil as a result of human activities.
  1. Find out more
Mechanisms, procedures, and rules concerning the internal control, supervision, reporting, and decision making system of a company.
  1. Find out more
Initiatives, policies, procedures, rules, and cultural elements concerning life in the workplace as well as the heterogeneity of an entity's workforce and equal opportunity and remuneration for employees of different backgrounds.
  1. Find out more
Transformation of business activities, processes, and models through the use of digital technology and the protection, integrity and availability of data.
  1. Find out more
Internationally shared fundamental rights ensuring basic conditions for individuals to live in dignity, as well as labor rights.
  1. Find out more
Comprises climate change, emissions of greenhouse gases and energy consumption.
  1. Find out more
The responsibility of an organization to ensure customer satisfaction and consumer rights.
  1. Find out more
The use of water, including availability, distribution and quality.
  1. Find out more
The recording, reporting and analysis of business transactions beyond financial issues e.g. non-financial reporting / accounting.
  1. Find out more
Financing and investments integrating non-financial topics and aiming to generate both financial and sustainable value.
  1. Find out more
Supply chain activities and operations, as well as flows of resources and information along the value chain.
  1. Find out more
The stability of a company’s finances, long-term value, reputation, human resources and production processes.
  1. Find out more
Technological development of new products, services, and business models.
  1. Find out more
Material management and resource usage, efficiency, and waste management & recycling.
  1. Find out more
Interaction with people or groups who may affect or be affected by the entity's activities and decisions.
  1. Find out more
Health, welfare and safety of people at work, and the environmental, social, health, and safety impacts related to a product.
  1. Find out more

Last modified: February 2024

In annual updates, we check whether new topics are coming up and confirm if the importance and materiality of the identified topics changed significantly. Our list of material topics is then adjusted accordingly.