UNEP FI has started work with peer organizations and practitioners to iterate the Sector Mappings, integrating lessons learned from users and improving its useability and usefulness for different audiences and use cases.
Background
Understanding the associations between sectors and sustainability impacts is foundational for effective impact management and credible sustainability disclosures. Whether undertaking a materiality assessment, setting impact targets/developing action plans, conducting due diligence, or preparing regulatory-aligned reports, organizations need to understand where the most significant positive and negative impacts are likely to occur across different sectors of the economy.
In response to this need (specifically in the context of the PRB requirement to perform a portfolio analysis and develop targets and action plans), UNEP FI developed the Sector Mappings. The mappings a practical resource designed to help financial institutions and organizations identify the typical sustainability impacts—both positive and negative—associated with specific sectors. They have been used by financial institutions to inform impact analysis, guide target setting, and support alignment with frameworks such as the Principles for Responsible Banking and certain disclosure requirements (e.g. CSRD).
These mappings are updated regularly to reflect ongoing research, changes in the real economy, and user feedback. UNEP FI is now launching a new phase of work to review and further update the resource.
Objectives
The updated Sector Mappings aims to advance a common, robust understanding of sector-impact associations, serving as a shared reference point for various actors engaged in impact management and sustainability reporting. By promoting greater consistency and comparability across market resources can help align methodologies and reduce fragmentation.
What exactly is up for review?
The UNEP FI Sector Mappings currently maps the positive and negative impacts of business sectors and activities on the three pillars of sustainable development, as per the impact areas of the UNEP FI Impact Radar. Building on feedback from users of the current iteration of the UNEP FI Sector Mappings and on other relevant developments, adjustments under consideration include:
- Adjusting the impact areas and topics to increase interoperability & take on board the learnings of IMP R&D paper on sustainability topics
- Updating sectors from ISIC Rev.4 to ISIC Rev.5
- Providing more clarity on how impact associations have been determined and expand the narrative explanations on each of the sector/impact associations
- Including explicit value chain considerations
- Including information related to risks and opportunities
When will the new mapping be available and how can I have my say?
The tentative release time for the new version of the map is Q1 2026.
If you are a user of the map (whether as a standalone resource or via the UNEP FI Impact Analysis Tools) you have probably received a brief survey inviting you to share your user experience and feedback with us. If you are a user but did not receive the survey, please contact us here.
Once the new version has been drafted, UNEP FI will reach out to survey respondents for a round of consultations (Q4 2025).
Peer sustainability initiatives and frameworks, namely partners of the Impact Management Platform, as well as topical experts, are also being engaged and consulted in the process.