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Towards a common language for Impact Management: IMP Partners unveil unique collaboration on sector impacts

Posted: July 20, 2026

How to understand and manage impacts is highly sector and context dependent. While the tailoring of sustainability frameworks and resources to specific sectors is progressing, a group of IMP Partners have published a unique contribution in the form of the Sector Impact Matrix, a holistic mapping of likely positive and negative sustainability impacts across economic sectors and activities.  

Building on the Platform’s prior R&D work on sector classification and sustainability topic nomenclature, and the prior UNEP FI Sectors Mapping, the group comprising B Lab, Capitals Coalition, GIIN, GRI, OECD, TISFD, TNFD as well as UNEP-WCMC and Humane World for Animals, has worked with UNEP FI to deliver a highly enhanced mapping. 

Key Features of Matrix: 

  • Likely positive and negative impacts on people, society and the natural environment mapped for 1000+ sectors based on ISIC Rev. 5 and the new edition of the UNEP FI Impact Radar 
  • All sector-impact associations fully explained and referenced 
  • Numerous new data points included for each sector-impact association: affected parties, impact drivers, value chain position, associated risks and opportunities 
  • New interactive search functionalities introduced to improve how users read, understand and process impact data 
  • User Guide added, including detailed information on methodology as well as interoperability guidance for numerous sustainability frameworks and resources 

Who & what is the Matrix for? 

As a global resource providing a common understanding of sector impacts, the Matrix speaks to a wide range of audiences, including corporates, financial institutions and investors, for which the resource can support strategic and operational decision-making processes such as materiality assessments, client screening & due diligence, client engagement & issuance of sustainability-focused products and services, determination of impact investing objectives, and portfolio selection. 

At the same time, the Matrix is a key resource for the Platform Partners themselves as they continue to develop sector-specific guidance and tools and build interoperable solutions. 

Download the Matrix and User Guide here. Watch the recordings of two-part launch: Part 1 and Part 2. 

Call for input 

The Matrix is a live resource, and a series of engagements will be pursued over a year-long consultation period. Interested? Sign up for updates here.