YCH Partners with CarbonBetter to Identify ESG Priorities
YCH partnered with CarbonBetter to conduct a materiality assessment, identifying key risks and opportunities for its ESG roadmap.
Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), the world’s largest 100% grower-owned hop supplier, partnered with CarbonBetter, a sustainability and decarbonization consulting firm, to conduct an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) materiality assessment. The process included conducting robust industry research to identify a comprehensive list of potentially relevant topics, developing bespoke stakeholder surveys to engage both internal and external stakeholders, performing data analysis, organizing an interactive half-day workshop, developing a materiality matrix aligned across all key stakeholders and building a roadmap with recommended actions across each of the identified risks and opportunities. The assessment complements YCH’s Chief Commitments and its 2025 carbon reduction targets, which include sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, which will reduce GHG emissions by 56%, and working towards 100% recyclable or compostable packaging. This blog post outlines how CarbonBetter supported YCH in completing the materiality assessment and advancing its sustainability goals by focusing on the most material topics.
Understanding YCH’s Current ESG Landscape
The materiality assessment began with understanding what documents YCH already had, focusing on a data collection process for each of the individual ESG metrics. In addition to understanding YCH’s business, industry research was conducted to identify potential sources of risk and opportunity for the company. Thereafter, CarbonBetter drafted a survey questionnaire, which included questions relating to all ESG aspects, targeting both internal and external stakeholders from YCH. The survey sought to determine how certain metrics would benefit YCH, identify areas for improvement, and highlight material topics for both YCH and its external relationships.
“Yakima Chief Hops is pioneering environmental stewardship within the Hops industry and the CarbonBetter team has enjoyed closely collaborating with YCH to drive their sustainability agenda forward!”
Pankaj Tanwar, Director of Climate Services, CarbonBetter
Conducting Surveys and Interviews
YCH distributed the survey to all stakeholders and received 71 responses out of 100. The responses were from both internal stakeholders, as well as a good mix of external stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community organizations, and key customers.
In addition to the surveys, CarbonBetter conducted individual interviews across all stakeholder groups to better understand and dig deeper into the survey’s insights. The goal was to analyze how certain topics or metrics mattered to YCH, identifying which topics were more material compared to others.
Analyzing Material Topics
By combining both the survey data and interview insights, CarbonBetter was able to conduct an in-depth analysis to develop an initial list of material topics that were the most relevant. The analysis was presented and discussed during a workshop where participants reviewed the analysis, contributed their perspectives, and debated which topics should take priority. There was a discussion regarding the relative importance of different material topics and their influence on business success and stakeholder relationships.
“Partnering with CarbonBetter on our materiality assessment was an invaluable experience, providing us with deep insights into the most pressing ESG issues for our business. CarbonBetter’s expertise and professionalism have been instrumental in helping us refine our sustainability approach, ensuring we prioritize the most material topics while advancing our Chief Commitments and long-term environmental goals.”
Yakima Chief Hops
Strategic Recommendations and Outcomes
The end result of this process was the final materiality matrix, ranking the topics currently most relevant for YCH . In the final report, CarbonBetter provided strategic recommendations on addressing these material topics, including potential quick wins, long-term strategies, and the business risks associated with neglecting certain topics.
Conclusion
This materiality assessment provided YCH with the insights needed to refine its sustainability strategy and prioritize key ESG issues. Building on this foundation, YCH, with CarbonBetter’s guidance, plans to conduct a double materiality assessment to prepare for the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requirements. If your organization needs help conducting a materiality assessment, we can help. Contact us today to get started.
If your organization needs help conducting a materiality assessment, we can help. Contact us today to get started.
Sathya Narayanan
Project Consultant
Sayali Chaudhari
Project Consultant
Laura Salazar
Project Consultant
About CarbonBetter
Founded in 2012, CarbonBetter partners with organizations across various industries to implement sustainability, decarbonization, and net-zero strategies. Our firm combines expertise in carbon markets with a deep understanding of energy logistics to align environmental and business goals.
About Yakima Chief Hops
Yakima Chief Hops is the world’s largest 100% grower-owned global hop supplier, dedicated to connecting brewers with sustainable hop farming. With over 30 years of industry leadership, YCH is committed to environmental stewardship through initiatives like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, investing in renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture. YCH continues to lead sustainability efforts in the hop industry while providing high-quality, innovative hop products to brewers worldwide.
A materiality assessment is a structured process used to identify and prioritize the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues that are most significant to a company and its stakeholders. It helps organizations understand which ESG topics have the greatest impact on their operations, reputation, and compliance requirements. In the case of Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), the assessment provided clarity on where to focus their sustainability efforts, ensuring alignment between their business goals and stakeholder expectations. This strategic focus allows for more effective resource allocation and supports long-term environmental and business outcomes.
CarbonBetter’s process was designed to be comprehensive and collaborative. It began with a review of YCH’s existing ESG documentation and goals, followed by in-depth industry research to surface relevant risks and opportunities. Custom stakeholder surveys were developed and distributed to gather feedback, which was complemented by one-on-one interviews to add context and depth to the data. Insights from both surveys and interviews were then presented during an interactive workshop where participants evaluated the findings and discussed topic prioritization. The engagement culminated in a final materiality matrix, accompanied by strategic recommendations tailored to YCH’s unique business context.
The materiality assessment process included input from a diverse group of stakeholders. Internally, YCH employees and leadership were consulted to understand operational priorities and organizational goals. Externally, key customers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community organizations were surveyed and interviewed to gather broader perspectives. This wide-ranging engagement ensured that the final materiality matrix reflected both internal business considerations and the concerns of external partners and communities. Including a variety of viewpoints adds depth to the assessment and reinforces the company’s commitment to transparency and stakeholder collaboration.
The assessment delivered several critical outcomes for YCH. Chief among them was the development of a customized materiality matrix that clearly ranked the most pressing ESG issues based on stakeholder input and business relevance. CarbonBetter also provided strategic recommendations for how to address these topics, suggesting a mix of immediate opportunities for improvement and long-term initiatives. The process helped YCH strengthen the alignment between its sustainability goals—such as achieving 100% recyclable or compostable packaging and sourcing all electricity from renewable sources—and its operational strategy. Additionally, the insights gained from the assessment positioned YCH to meet evolving regulatory standards, including future compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
CarbonBetter specializes in delivering tailored sustainability consulting services to organizations across a range of industries. Whether a company is just beginning to explore ESG strategy or preparing for rigorous sustainability reporting requirements, CarbonBetter can provide expert guidance through every step of the process. Their services include conducting materiality assessments, engaging stakeholders, analyzing ESG data, and developing actionable roadmaps. The successful collaboration with YCH highlights how CarbonBetter brings both strategic insight and practical execution to help businesses advance their sustainability goals in a way that is meaningful, measurable, and aligned with their long-term vision.
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