Speedy Hire: Refreshing the view of sustainability priorities through a double materiality assessment
Speedy Hire, a leading provider of tools and equipment hire services across the UK and Ireland, partnered with Simply Sustainable in FY2026 to further develop its strategic approach to sustainability through a comprehensive double materiality assessment (DMA) aligned with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Building on the previous materiality assessment that Speedy Hire conducted with Simply Sustainable in FY24, the business sought to update its analysis to ensure relevance within the rapidly evolving sustainability context and strengthen alignment with best–practice reporting frameworks.
Although not mandated to report under the CSRD, Speedy Hire takes an ambitious approach to sustainability through its Decade to Deliver strategy, recognising the value of aligning its materiality process with emerging regulatory expectations and globally recognised reporting frameworks. The recently published UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS), aligned with International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards (IFRS S1 and S2), further reinforce that Speedy Hire’s proactive approach positions the business well for the evolving sustainability disclosure landscape.
Impacts and benefits
- End-to-end value chain visibility: Visualised Speedy Hire’s full value chain across upstream suppliers, own operations and downstream activities, creating a shared understanding of sustainability hotspots for key stakeholders across the business.
- Refreshed analysis across the two lenses of materiality: Applied a robust assessment across both the impact and financial lenses of materiality, to develop an updated view of Speedy Hire’s material impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs).
- Comprehensive stakeholder engagement to deepen strategic insight: Used a combination of stakeholder engagement approaches to capture a representative sample of perspectives across Speedy Hire’s value chain. This strengthened the credibility of the assessment while also deepening engagement with Speedy Hire’s sustainability agenda and building internal momentum.
- Demonstration of ongoing sustainability progress and leadership: Aligned with best-practice sustainability reporting guidance, reinforcing Speedy Hire’s continued momentum and positioning as a sector leader in sustainability, while also supporting readiness for the evolving UK sustainability reporting landscape.
Our long-standing partnership with Simply Sustainable has helped us to build real momentum in our sustainability journey, demonstrating continued leadership in our sector. Our recent double materiality assessment was a strong example of how sustainability analysis can be used as an opportunity to look beyond reporting commitments and generate meaningful stakeholder insight to inform and refresh our strategic approach to sustainability.”Angela Hughes Head of Sustainability & Governance, Speedy Hire
The story
Between July and December 2025, Simply Sustainable partnered with Speedy Hire to deliver a DMA aligned with the CSRD. While not formally subject to CSRD requirements, Speedy Hire chose to align with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) underpinning the CSRD, as a matter of best practice, strengthening its readiness for evolving UK sustainability reporting expectations.
A key starting point was a detailed mapping of Speedy Hire’s value chain, spanning upstream activities such as raw material extraction and manufacturing, through to its own operations across depots, service centres and fleet, and downstream activities including customer use and asset resale. Beyond defining the scope of the assessment, this exercise played an important role in aligning internal stakeholders around key sustainability hotspots, dependencies and areas of potential risk and opportunity across the business.
Building on this shared understanding, Simply Sustainable developed a tailored set of sustainability topics and definitions aligned with CSRD requirements. Informed by ESRS guidance, peer analysis and Speedy Hire’s previous materiality work, this framework provided a robust and consistent basis for identifying and assessing IROs.
The following stakeholder engagement activity extended beyond the requirements of a standard materiality exercise, both in breadth and depth. Through a combination of interviews, focus groups and a wider survey, insights were gathered from internal teams as well as stakeholders across Speedy Hire’s value chain. This approach not only reflected emerging best practice in DMAs but also generated valuable strategic insight into how sustainability issues are experienced and prioritised across the business and by its external partners.
Drawing on this evidence base, a comprehensive longlist of IROs was developed and assessed through both impact and financial lenses. The impact materiality assessment evaluated the severity and likelihood of sustainability impacts, while the financial materiality assessment considered the potential implications of sustainability-related risks and opportunities on business performance.
Ultimately, the DMA identified three material sustainability topics, representing the areas of greatest significance to Speedy Hire and its stakeholders. These findings were visualised through a materiality matrix, clearly illustrating the most significant issues based on their severity and financial relevance, informed by stakeholder priorities and providing a robust evidence base to inform decision-making.
The process not only clarified Speedy Hire’s material topics, but also helped to build a stronger, shared understanding of sustainability priorities across the organisation. The outputs, which include a comprehensive IRO register and subsequent materiality matrix, have strengthened internal alignment and reinvigorated engagement with sustainability across both internal and external stakeholders.
Interested to know more?
Interested in how your business can prepare for the CSRD (including double materiality) and the new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS)?
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