Before Utilizing Impact
When considering practical impact management and impact accounting utilization, it becomes necessary to adjust what and at what granularity to assess in each phase according to the specific objectives. For instance, as a starting point, it is desirable to have a rough alignment among stakeholders involved in the evaluation regarding issues like the following.
Background and Assumptions
Purpose of the Evaluation
- Specific Utilization Objectives: For example, whether you envision using it at specific stages or gateways within research and development themes
- Are you targeting global issues or local ones?
Evaluation Direction
- Independent Evaluation as a Third Party
- Strategic Evaluation with Awareness of External Promotion, etc.
Evaluation Details
Targeted Areas
- Areas defined within the overall corporate strategy or departmental strategies aligned with the SDGs
- Broad target areas set for general themes, etc.
Scope of Evaluation
- Are you considering only positive impacts, or does it include negative impacts as well?
- Are you evaluating not just impacts but also economic impacts (such as employment effects) or even considering ripple effects, etc.?
Granularity of Evaluation
- A detailed evaluation at the KPI level to clarify internal actions
- A relatively coarse granularity, centered around generally visualizable outcomes, etc.
Final Estimation Units
- Standardizing units to a certain extent for each theme block (e.g., tCO2)
- Making it globally comparable by incorporating economic value (USD, etc.).
Utilization of Evaluation Results
Specific Utilization Methods
- How will you use the results in what form?
- In reverse-engineering from the final utilization method, are there any elements or additional information to consider?
Medium to Long-Term Strategy
- How will you incorporate this one-off initiative into your company’s ongoing business activities, establish a framework, and accumulate information?
Of course, the above points are merely essential considerations for implementing impact management and impact accounting, and adjustments may be necessary based on individual circumstances and goals. However, clarifying these aspects, as mentioned above, is crucial for a smooth and effective utilization.