How to use the Roadmap

→ All companies are different—how does the Ceres Roadmap 2030 apply to my business? 

Each company’s journey is unique.  The Ceres Roadmap 2030 can be applied to any company, no matter the sector or size. It provides multiple entry points which companies can use to gain the information they need to take action depending on where they are in the sustainability process—whether they are just getting started or expanding investment in broader systems change. 

A company’s circumstances, including industry, business model and purpose, should be considered when applying the Ceres Roadmap 2030 guidance and used to identify priority actions that will improve performance and strengthen strategic decision-making. For instance, consumer product companies will apply the actions directly to their operations, supply chain and the physical products they design and produce. Financial institutions, meanwhile, will need to examine changes to their investing, financing and underwriting processes that form the products that serve their clients. Every company has a role to play in our transition to a more just and sustainable economy, but how each company achieves this is a matter of proper analysis and context.

→ My company is just starting out—how can we use the Ceres Roadmap 2030?

Whether a company is just recognizing the business need and opportunity of addressing environmental and social impacts or has been improving its sustainable business performance for decades—the Ceres Roadmap 2030 provides tools and resources to help. The Ceres Roadmap 2030 microsite is designed to give companies practical guidance for getting started across each of the critical impact actions. This guidance is typically aimed towards establishing the policies, management systems and controls that create the foundation for sustained performance improvement. These foundational steps lay the necessary groundwork for helping companies on their pathway toward achieving the Ceres Roadmap 2030 milestones.

→ Is the Ceres Roadmap 2030 another disclosure framework?

The Ceres Roadmap 2030 is not a framework to guide disclosure, it is a framework to guide action. Transparency and disclosure are critical elements of any successful sustainable business strategy. So a component of the Ceres Roadmap 2030 helps companies understand the key characteristics for credible sustainability disclosure. The Transparency and Disclosure action area within the Ceres Roadmap 2030 specifically details how companies can improve disclosures by making them more Consistent and Integrated, Decision-Useful, Comparable and Verified and Stakeholder Relevant. Additionally, within each of the Critical Impact Actions, the Ceres Roadmap 2030 provides insight into issue-specific disclosure frameworks that can help guide companies toward disclosure that is focused on quality of information versus quantity.

→ How does the Ceres Roadmap 2030 work with the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals?

The announcement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 was a landmark moment for the global community. The world’s leaders adopted an ambitious plan to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and protect the planet. Together, the goals offer a common language for governments, NGOs, corporations and other critical stakeholders to use to move toward a shared vision for the future. While the SDGs provide a shared vision for change by 2030, the Ceres Roadmap 2030 offers companies a clear path to get there. The Ceres Roadmap 2030 is aligned with the SDGs by focusing on actions that companies can take to achieve the goals.

→ How can investors use the Ceres Roadmap 2030?

The Ceres Roadmap 2030 is a tool for companies as they successfully navigate the transition to a more just and sustainable economy, but it is also a valuable resource for investors as they seek to recognize and reward sustainable business leadership over the next decade. The Ceres Roadmap 2030 can be used to engage companies in direct dialogue, evaluate corporate performance in the context of short and longer-term business strategy, inform investors’ asks for improved performance and identify those companies that are leading the way.

→ How do I start using the Ceres Roadmap 2030?

Companies should first evaluate current commitments and performance across the Critical Impact Actions—Stabilize the Climate, Protect Water and Natural Resources, and Build a Just and Inclusive Economy—and determine areas that may require greater attention in the short, medium and longer-term. Along with a company’s comprehensive review to determine material and salient issues, the Critical Impact Actions should serve as a commitment and performance baseline for all companies to build from. Companies should also evaluate their business systems across the Business Integration Actions. This assessment will provide valuable insight into opportunities for companies to further embed sustainability considerations into strategic planning, governance, disclosure, investor and stakeholder engagement and policy advocacy and across business decision-making more broadly. Deepening integration of sustainability risks and opportunities will strengthen management systems, build internal and external accountability, increase corporate resilience to business disruption and enable quick action to drive positive impact at scale.