Relocation Africa’s Sustainability Materiality Assessment

Being dedicated to our promise of sustainability, and aware of our impact in the Global Mobility industry, Relocation Africa recently conducted a Sustainability Materiality Assessment.??

The process was innovative and research-intensive, but ultimately immensely rewarding.??

The objective of the Sustainability Materiality Assessment was to highlight key sustainability concerns and opportunities within Relocation Africa’s operations and value system, for the business to create specific sustainability plans, minimise potential issues, and interact with stakeholders in a way that promotes transparency and trust.?

By recognising and ranking sustainability concerns related to its operations and stakeholders, Relocation Africa can improve its sustainable impact, establish trust, meet regulations, and enhance long-term competitiveness in the Global Mobility Industry.??

This Sustainability Materiality Assessment serves as a foundational tool for Relocation Africa to navigate sustainability challenges and address the issues that we impact directly or have a direct impact on our business and stakeholders. In doing so accordingly, we hope to drive positive change within the Global Mobility industry. Hence, the Sustainability Materiality Assessment was created as a formal and structured assessment to solve the rising ESG issues in the industry in a manner that is formalised, rational, and impactful, rather than merely answering relevant sustainability-compliance questions in a tick-box fashion.??

Conducting sustainability materiality assessments in this manner also ensures that the issues we address or seek to mitigate remains relevant, as we are committed to undergoing this process annually. Each year, we anticipate that our priorities may shift in response to changes in the business environment, stakeholder priorities, and the legislative landscape.?

Adopting a continuous improvement mindset and engaging stakeholders are both crucial steps to take in cultivating an innovative and resilient company culture, while simultaneously aligning business practices with ESG principles. We believe that Relocation Africa has the potential to drive significant change in the industry and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.??

The Methodology??

For our data collection process, we utilised an intuitive survey platform, Alchemer, which allowed us to design a customised survey offering a range of question formats, including multiple-choice, open-ended, and drop-down menu lists, enabling us to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.??

Alchemer also allowed us the ability to maintain anonymity for all surveys. The anonymity offered to stakeholders encouraged them to provide authentic responses without fear of repercussions, thereby not only promoting transparency and honesty in the data collection process, but also reducing potential biases or social desirability effects.?

To ensure a comprehensive spectrum of perspectives and concerns relevant to sustainability were captured, Relocation Africa sent out an anonymous survey link to their self-nominated stakeholders across various stakeholder groups.?

These stakeholder groups included board members, employees, shareholders, suppliers, assignees (individuals being relocated), corporate clients, relocation management companies, and other partners such as DSPs, temporary living providers. The selected stakeholders also span across a wide set of geographic regions on the African continent and abroad.??

Throughout the data collection period, Relocation Africa actively distributed the survey link to their stakeholders to maximise reach and participation. This approach enhanced the representativeness and validity of the collected data.?

By utilising Alchemer to design our surveys and conducting our research across a broad spectrum of stakeholders for the purpose of gathering rich and diverse insights, we can use these results in guiding our strategic decision-making processes towards more sustainable practices.??

Results?

The feedback from the Sustainability Materiality Assessment Report for Relocation Africa is presented as a local report, focusing on a specific geographical perspective. The results are based on 29 completed responses and include input from all stakeholder categories.??

For each issue, Environmental, Social, and Governmental, we asked the respondents to specifically select out of the 14 identified environmental issues the 10 most relevant to them and rank them from 1 – 10 (1 being the most important issue).??

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:?

The Environmental issues of most importance are:?

• Energy Usage?
• Climate Strategy?
• Green House Gas (GHG) emissions (incl. carbon)?

However, the issues with the most respondents are:?

• Clean Air??
• Waste Disposal/Recycling??
• Renewable Energy?

SOCIAL ISSUES?

The Social issues of most importance are:?

• Employee Well-Being/ Engagement/ Hiring & Retention?
• Workplace Health & Safety?

• Fair Pay/ Living Wages?
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion?

However, the issues with the most respondents are:?

• Employee Well-Being/ Engagement/ Hiring & Retention??
• Workplace Health & Safety??
• Fair Pay/ Living Wages??

GOVERNANCE ISSUES?

The Governance issues of most importance are:?

• Business Ethics / Anti-Bribery/ Corruption?
• Data Protection & Privacy?
• Risk Management?
• Cybersecurity?

However, the governance issues with the most respondents are:?

• Business Ethics / Anti-Bribery/ Corruption??
• Data Protection & Privacy??
• Risk Management??

The Limitations??

Though the Sustainability Materiality Assessment was both a thoughtful and intuitive concept in aims to gain insights across the categories of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues, Relocation Africa acknowledges that there are several limitations to consider, including:?

• Subjectivity and bias: Assessments depend on the interpretation and judgment of those involved, which can introduce subjectivity and bias. Stakeholders may have varied priorities, values, and perceptions of sustainability, resulting in differing views on what constitutes material sustainability issues for Relocation Africa.?
• Dynamic nature of sustainability: Sustainability issues and stakeholder expectations change with evolving social, environmental, and economic conditions. A static assessment may not capture emerging risks, opportunities, or shifting stakeholder concerns. Therefore, we recommend conducting this assessment annually to reflect current priorities.??
• Absence of Randomisation: We recognise that in this survey we did not randomise the answer choices when asking respondents to rank the Environmental, Social and Governance issues, to assist in overcoming order bias. Respondents tend to favour choices at the beginning and end of a list; therefore, it is possible that the respondents’ first few answers selection is based on the need to save time.?
• Language barriers: This survey was designed in English, which we acknowledge might not be the first language of every stakeholder who participated. Although we were pedantic in using clear and simple language to facilitate comprehension for all respondents, interpretations could differ or be influenced by respondents’ cultural backgrounds and environments, potentially impacting their responses.??

Conclusion & Recommendations?

The Sustainability Materiality Assessment is a crucial tool for Relocation Africa to navigate sustainability in the Global Mobility industry. As relocation Africa embarks on this journey, it is important to note that the Sustainability Materiality Assessment is not the final destination, but rather it is part of a continuous process of improvement. The assessment provides insights and a roadmap for meaningful action and impact.?

Embracing continuous improvement can help Relocation Africa foster innovation, resilience, transparency, and sustainability. This includes implementing initiatives to address sustainability issues and promoting a culture of learning and collaboration.?

By monitoring progress and engaging stakeholders, Relocation Africa can drive positive change and align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. This approach can lead to long-term economic and value creation, shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for the Global Mobility industry and beyond.??

Download our ?Relocation Africa’s Sustainable Development Materiality Assessment 2024?