Exploring Materiality and Stakeholder Engagement in European Water Utilities' Sustainability Strategies, Organizational Practices, and Reporting

Abstract

Materiality is a key principle enabling organizations to determine what information to disclose, serving as both a filtering mechanism and a strategic tool shaped by institutional dynamics. Institutional logics, which inform and legitimize organizational practices, significantly influence accountability and reporting processes, including the application of materiality. Effective water management is essential for sustainable development, making the water industry a key sector for exploring materiality and stakeholder engagement within sustainability strategies. This study explores the integration of the materiality principle, stakeholder engagement, and related organizational practices into the sustainability strategies and reporting of the European water industry between 2020 and 2022. Through content analysis of sustainability reports from 26 European water utilities, the study identifies three primary stakeholder engagement approaches: one‐way communication, dialogic interaction, and multi‐directional dialog. The prevailing trend is a dialogic approach that has evolved over time, though concerns about its relevance and effectiveness remain. Additionally, the study examines disclosed material topics, noting a dominant focus on environmental concerns and health and safety, with economic and governance issues receiving comparatively less attention. It emphasizes the need to improve the materiality process by integrating insights from accounting research into organizational practices and underscores the importance of effective stakeholder engagement for fostering trust and collaboration, particularly in vital sectors like water management. The findings offer valuable perspectives for policymakers, emphasizing the need to design robust mechanisms that promote stakeholder engagement. While progress in this area in recent years is evident, as demonstrated by this research, it must quickly evolve into a fundamental component of effective water management to avoid the risk of becoming merely an organizational façade.