In the field of sustainability, there is one phrase we hear more than any other: “We don’t know what to start with.” This confusion appears across all types of companies—large listed firms, mid-size businesses, and every industry you can think of. What’s interesting is that this issue has nothing to do with the capability or experience of the Sustainability Manager.

In fact, organizations whose Sustainability Managers actively gather information often feel more overwhelmed. That’s because the biggest barrier in sustainability is the complexity of information itself. It’s not that the Sustainability manager lacks ability—it’s that the volume and variety of information makes it nearly impossible to organize. Regardless of size or maturity, everyone started with the same question: “What do we do first?”

And this is not unusual. Starting in the fog is the normal starting line for sustainability. The important shift is to recognize that this is not “our company’s unique problem,” but a structural challenge shared by all. You are not the only one walking in the fog.

The paradox of “information overload but no basis for decision-making”

Sustainability today is an environment of overwhelming information.GRI, CDP, EcoVadis, TCFD, ISSB… countless global frameworks and rating bodies demand disclosure and action from different angles. In Japan, additional requirements—such as mandatory sustainability information in securities reports and Scope 3 estimation—only add to the load.

This creates a strange paradox: There is too much information, yet no clarity on what matters to your company.

• Attend a seminar and you’ll hear “This is the priority.
• Ask a consultant and they’ll tell you “Start here instead.
• As a result, companies end up with a sense of “we’re doing something” but without true progress.

At the core of this anxiety is one simple issue: The lack of clear priorities. It’s not that “we haven’t done enough” that creates uncertainty. It’s the fear that: “Are we focusing on the right things?” or “Is there something more important we’re missing?”

Without understanding how each task fits into the bigger picture, Sustainability managers cannot feel confident or see direction.This is why “not knowing where to start” is actually the wrong question. The real question is: “How do we see the whole picture?”

The first step is understanding how external evaluations are structured

So where should companies begin? The answer is simple: Understand what external evaluations look at.

Many companies view sustainability as a collection of actions—installing solar panels, reducing plastic use, offering diversity workshops. These are meaningful efforts, but this is not what rating agencies evaluate. External evaluations focus on how a company manages sustainability, not the individual activities themselves. They look for:

• Does your company have clear policies?
• Are goals and KPIs set?
• Are responsibilities defined?
• Is progress monitored?
• Is the PDCA cycle functioning?

In systems like EcoVadis, most evaluation items relate to management systems, not campaign-level activities. This is why the first step is not to jump into isolated initiatives. The first step is to grasp the whole structure:

• What themes matter to your company?
• Which standards must you align with?
• Which evaluations will you be assessed on?

Understanding the full landscape becomes the first light that cuts through the fog.

Why a roadmap becomes the “lighthouse in the fog”

Once you understand the whole system, the next essential tool is a roadmap. A roadmap is not just a timeline. It is a design blueprint that defines: Direction, Priorities and Roles and responsibilities.

Most sustainability efforts stall because these three pillars are unclear.

• Without direction, Sustainability Managers face decision paralysis.
• Without priorities, time gets wasted on tasks that don’t matter.
• Without defined responsibility, departments push tasks onto each other.

These issues come from two structural gaps: unclear roles and asymmetry of information.

A roadmap solves these issues by laying out clear phases— e.g., Phase 1: Assessment & Policy,
Phase 2: Goal-setting & Governance, Phase 3: Execution & Monitoring. For each phase, it defines:

• Who owns decision-making
• Which departments are involved
• What deliverables are expected

This removes confusion and creates forward momentum. A roadmap becomes the lighthouse that guides the Sustainability Manager through the fog.

“Being stuck” is not a failure — it’s a design issue that can be solved

You might be thinking: “We’re behind.” Feeling lost is not a failure—it is the natural state for every company beginning this journey.

Companies struggle not because their Sustainability Managers lack skill or because management is uninformed. They struggle because sustainability is inherently complex and multi-layered: multiple frameworks, diverse stakeholders, wide-ranging themes and long-term horizons.

The key is to understand this not as a “capability problem,” but a design problem. When you organize information, visualize the whole picture, set priorities, and define roles, the confusion disappears. This is exactly the design support we provide.

Our approach follows four steps:

Step 1: Document Audit

We examine existing policies, reports, and internal documents to assess the current state—what is in place and what is missing.

Step 2: Diagnosis

We evaluate your current status through the lens of external standards (EcoVadis, CDP, etc.) to pinpoint strengths and gaps.

Step 3: Prioritization

We identify key themes based on business characteristics, stakeholder expectations, risks, and opportunities.

Step 4: Governance Design

We build the internal structure—who decides, who executes, who monitors, and who reports.

Once these steps are completed, the fog lifts and the path becomes visible. Sustainability is not an impossible puzzle. With the right design, every Sustainability Manager can move forward with confidence.

🤝Consulting Support

If you’re unsure where to begin, please know that this is completely normal. You don’t have to carry that uncertainty alone. Let’s start by gaining a clear view of the whole picture.

We help companies that feel stuck or directionless find a path forward and take their first meaningful steps. Together, we can shape and advance your sustainability initiatives.

Please feel free to reach out—we’re here to support you.

*For inquiries related to sustainability initiatives, please select “Roadmap Creation Support” in the form above.