WSH: Double Materiality Assessment Hybrid Approach
Hospitality and contract catering company, WSH, faced a mandatory requirement to conduct a Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) to comply with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). However, rather than viewing this as merely a compliance exercise, WSH recognised the strategic opportunity to gain deeper insights into both their impact on society and the environment, as well as how global sustainability challenges influence its financial risks and future business opportunities.
The challenge was in meeting the regulatory deadline while maximising the strategic value of the assessment. WSH needed expert guidance to ensure thoroughness and accuracy, but also wanted to build lasting internal capabilities rather than relying solely on external consultants. This required finding the right partner who could deliver compliance while simultaneously upskilling their sustainability team to confidently navigate CSRD regulations and drive meaningful organisational change beyond the initial reporting requirements.
Ricardo solution
WSH partnered with Ricardo, leveraging our expertise to ensure a thorough and insightful assessment. At Ricardo, we offer flexible, client-focused solutions that go beyond standard assessments. We are committed to supporting the upskilling of sustainability teams and fostering impactful knowledge sharing.
For WSH, we introduced our Hybrid DMA Approach—a collaborative model where key responsibilities are shared between WSH and Ricardo, guided by our expert advice and continuous feedback. This approach not only accelerated learning for WSH but also enabled internal teams to confidently navigate the complexities of the DMA and the CSRD framework. By blending hands-on experience with strategic guidance, Ricardo has ensured that their sustainability team is equipped with the skills and insights needed for lasting impact.
Customer benefit
Ricardo’s Hybrid DMA approach empowered WSH’s sustainability team with hands-on experience and strategic insights, accelerating their learning curve and building confidence to independently manage DMA and CSRD compliance. By sharing key responsibilities and providing expert guidance, Ricardo enabled WSH to seamlessly navigate complex regulations, make informed decisions, and reduce long-term dependency on external support. This approach not only ensures compliance but also equips WSH’s team with future-ready skills, positioning the company for sustainable growth and resilience in an evolving regulatory landscape.
"Partnering with Ricardo allowed us to meet a complex regulatory need with an accelerated timeline while maintaining quality throughout our process.
Ricardo provided us the skills and support to gather insights from stakeholders in a complex business set up. They were responsive to any pivots that were needed and were able to quickly adapt to any unforeseen challenges in our process.
Ricardo has set us up to be able to confidently navigate the CSRD process in the future and run any future DMA influenced activities as needed."
WSH
Further information
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