AmazonScience/document-haystack

1[Materiality Assessment]2GRI 3-1; 3-2; 3-33Highlights4— 19 material topics in total in 20235— Six new topics added and four material topics removed compared to 20226Our materiality assessment is primarily guided by the regulatory requirements of the German 7Commercial Code. That means we consider those matters which were of high and very high 8business relevance to us and our potential impact on those topics.9Our Approach to Identifying Our Material Topics 202310To identify our material topics, we used a three-step approach. 11Step 1: Identification (long list) 12In 2023, we continued to use the artificial intelligence-automated ESG analytics platform to 13support our materiality assessment. The platform monitors the ESG landscape and produces 14individual financial, impact and stakeholder scores for potential material topics it has 15identified as relevant to our financial service sector. For a topic to be included on the medium 16list, its financial, impact and stakeholder scores had to be above a defined threshold.17Step 2: Verification (medium list) 18The medium list topics were assessed using a quarterly analysis to review their materiality 19status and consider changes in financial, impact and stakeholder scores. The quarterly checks 20retained the parameters used in 2022. An additional validity assessment using updated 2023 21parameters was conducted to confirm the validity of the quarterly checks. 22Step 3: Finalisation (short list) 23For a topic to be on the final list of material topics, it needed to achieve the set threshold for 24the financial, impact and stakeholder scores in at least four of the five checks (the four 25quarterly checks and one validity assessment). The result using the thresholds indicated that 2619 topics were material for us in 2023.27The Result of the Materiality Assessment 202328The three highest scoring material topics were “Anti-Financial Crime”, “Business Ethics” and 29“Diversity and Equal Opportunities” (compared to “Client Satisfaction”, “Data Privacy 30Management” and “Anti-Financial Crime” in 2022). There were also a number of topic status 31changes between 2022 and 2023:32Six new topics were deemed material this year in comparison to 2022: 33– Biodiversity34– Epidemics and their multi-dimensional impacts35– Geopolitical risks36– Health and wellbeing37– Human rights38– Water39In addition, four of the material topics in 2022 fell below the materiality threshold this year 40according to their rating in the automated ESG platform:41– Corporate reputation42– Sustainability governance structure43– Grievance mechanisms and remediation44– Responsible tax practices 45The materiality assessment result was distributed to and approved by our CFO. 46In the materiality table below we have mapped the material topics we identified in 2023 47against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs on which we 48might have an impact are SDG 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, SDG 9: “Industry, 49Innovation and Infrastructure”, SDG 10: “Reducing Inequality” and SDG 13: “Climate Action”. 50The SDGs 8, 10 and 13 were selected during a workshop in 2019 with the time horizon 2030 51as prescribed by the UN. In 2022, these SDGs have been confirmed and we added SDG 9 52following an internal review. 53        54To our Shareholders Summarised 55Management Report56Consolidated 57Financial Statements Compensation Report Corporate Govern-58ance Statement59Supplementary 60Information DWS 2023 Annual Report61 62About this Report632 Materiality Assessment