Idorsia

Materiality to underpin a structured reporting process.

Brief

Idorsia, a biopharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, was in a phase of rapid development following its foundation in 2017 and was working toward commercialisation of its first products. Despite still having no revenue, the board decided to lay the basis for Idorsia’s sustainability approach by requiring, among the company’s objectives for 2020, the formulation of a sustainability reporting framework.

Our Work

Kick-off workshop to engage relevant corporate and business functions in determining a potential list of material sustainability topics

Materiality analysis through individual interviews with the company’s management and board members, plus a panel of investors and other external stakeholders

Description of the company’s reporting framework, including adoption of relevant guidelines, material topics and indicators, and guidance on how to approach its sustainability reporting practice and data-collection

Set-up of a step-by-step approach to ESG communications, including guidance on how to manage ESG ratings and engage with relevant rating agencies

Result

Idorsia published its first sustainability disclosures in early 2021, ahead of the Swiss government’s decision to make climate reporting mandatory from 2024. The engagement process highlighted that sustainability was more than a matter of reporting but a structured process to manage relevant impacts, critical issues and stakeholder expectations as the company scales up its operations.