Before you set targets, know what really matters to you.
Many companies arrive at the “roadmap” stage convinced they’re ready to plug in their targets and start tracking progress. They’ve already got the headline in mind:
"We will be carbon neutral by 2030."
It sounds ambitious and impressive, but without the details in between, it’s just a destination with no route. What’s missing is the story of how you’ll get there, the steps along the way, and the metrics that make it real.
Before you can build a meaningful roadmap, you need to decide what matters most to your business.
For some companies, safety metrics like LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) are the top priority. For others, it’s supplier resilience, water use, biodiversity impacts, or a mix of all of the above. What’s “most important” depends on your business model, your industry, your stakeholders, and where your risks and opportunities lie.
A roadmap is only as good as the priorities it’s built on.
If you set the wrong focus, you risk wasting time and budget on changes that don’t meaningfully move the needle.
Regulations like CSRD, CSDDD, and sector-specific frameworks are pushing companies to integrate sustainability into core business strategy, not treat it as a silo.
This means your goals have to make sense alongside your financial plans, operational strategies, and growth targets.
ImpactOS won’t tell you what your priorities should be, that’s for your business to decide. But we will:
Give you the framework to structure the data to see where your biggest impacts are.
Help you link sustainability topics directly to measurable metrics.
Provide a clear, shared view across your team so everyone knows the starting point.
Before you move on, make sure you can tick off each of these:
Focus on what matters most to your business and your stakeholders.
Once you’ve clarified your business priorities, the next step is to define which topics truly matter for your sustainability journey. That’s where a materiality assessment comes in.
A materiality assessment helps you identify the ESG topics that are most relevant to your business success and most important to your stakeholders. It’s your reality filter: instead of trying to tackle everything at once, you focus your efforts on the areas with the biggest potential impact and risk.
The scope of your materiality assessment will depend on the size of your organisation and how ambitious your targets are. For some companies, common sense and a clear look at the data in ImpactOS is enough to make smart decisions and show you exactly where you can make the biggest difference. If you need more in-depth analysis, the cost is often lower than you might expect, and we can connect you with trusted consultants who specialise in the areas you need.
Done well, a materiality assessment also strengthens your credibility. When you can explain why you’re focusing on certain areas (and back that up with data and stakeholder input) your roadmap becomes easier to understand, easier to defend, and easier to implement.
ImpactOS provides the structure to:
Before moving on, make sure you can tick off each of these:
Know your true starting point so you can measure progress and set realistic targets.
Your baseline is the “You are here” point on your sustainability journey. It’s the reference you’ll use to measure progress, evaluate performance, and communicate your results.
Depending on your priorities, your baseline might include greenhouse gas emissions, workplace safety metrics, water use, waste generation, supplier data (or a combination of them). The important part is that it reflects what’s most relevant to your business, as identified in your priorities and materiality assessment.
For many companies, the baseline covers the previous full year. This gives you a complete and comparable data set, and it’s also what most regulations require. But the exact period can vary, what matters is consistency over time so you can track changes accurately.
A strong baseline isn’t just a compliance exercise. It’s your decision-making foundation. Once you know where you stand, you can spot quick wins, identify high-impact opportunities, and set realistic, data-driven targets.
Without a baseline, you can’t measure progress or prove improvement.
It ensures your targets are realistic and evidence-based.
It reveals where the biggest impacts (and opportunities) are.
Regulatory frameworks like CSRD require past performance data, not just future promises.
ImpactOS is designed to make building your baseline easier and faster by:
Before you move on, make sure you can tick off each of these:
Turn your baseline into a clear destination and set measurable milestones to get there.
With your baseline in place, you now know where you are. The next step is deciding where you want to go, and how you’ll know you’re making progress.
This is where goals and targets come in.
For example, a goal might be “Reduce workplace injuries.” A target under that goal could be, “Lower LTIFR by 20% within two years.”
Clear goals and targets give your roadmap structure, help you prioritise actions, and make it possible to communicate progress to stakeholders with confidence. They also ensure your sustainability efforts are tied directly to business outcomes.
Goals give you direction; targets make that direction measurable.
Targets turn aspirations into achievable milestones.
Regulations require you to explain not just what you aim to achieve, but how and by when.
Having clear targets improves accountability and resource allocation.
ImpactOS makes defining and managing goals and targets easier by:
Before moving on, make sure you can tick off each of these:
Focus on the steps that deliver the biggest impact first.
By now, you’ve clarified your priorities, identified your key topics, built your baseline, and set clear goals and targets. The next question is: Which actions should you take first?
Not all actions are equal. Some will deliver quick wins, others require long-term investment. Some address urgent risks, while others open up new business opportunities. Prioritising your actions ensures you get the best return on your effort and resources.
Good prioritisation also keeps your roadmap realistic. Instead of trying to do everything at once, you sequence your actions so that each step builds momentum for the next.
ImpactOS makes it easier to prioritise by:
Before you move on, make sure you can tick off each of these:
Turn your priorities into a living plan that adapts as you move forward.
With your priorities, baseline, goals, targets, and actions in place, it’s time to bring everything together into your roadmap. This is where your ESG journey becomes visible; not just to you, but to your entire organisation and stakeholders.
A good roadmap is clear, realistic, and adaptable. It shows what will be done, when it will be done, and who is responsible. But it also recognises that things change: markets shift, new regulations emerge, technologies evolve, and your business priorities may need to be adjusted.
Rather than a fixed “master plan,” your roadmap should be a living document; something you review, refine, and update regularly to reflect your most current understanding and opportunities.
It connects all previous work into one coherent plan.
It makes timelines and responsibilities clear.
It allows you to monitor progress and adjust as needed.
It provides a transparent way to communicate your roadmap to stakeholders.
ImpactOS makes your roadmap practical and dynamic by:
Before moving on, make sure you can tick off each of these:
Keep your roadmap relevant by refreshing it with new data and insights.
Your roadmap is not the end of the journey, it’s the navigation system you’ll use along the way. And like any good navigation system, it needs regular updates.
Markets shift, new technologies emerge, regulations change, and your own business strategy evolves. Reviewing your roadmap ensures that it stays aligned with reality and that you’re always working on the most impactful actions.
Regular updates also keep your stakeholders engaged. They can see that you’re actively managing progress, responding to changes, and making decisions based on the latest information, not last year’s assumptions.
Ensures your roadmap remains relevant and effective over time.
Helps you respond to risks and opportunities as they emerge.
Keeps your sustainability strategy aligned with business priorities.
Builds trust by showing stakeholders that you adapt to changing circumstances.
ImpactOS supports the review process by:
As part of your regular review, make sure you have: