Beyond Reports is a monthly podcast from GRI, pioneer of the world’s most widely used standards on sustainability reporting and corporate disclosure. Each episode features the latest sustainability news, an interview with a member of GRI’s global multi-stakeholder community and insights on how sustainability data can empower action towards a better tomorrow.

October 2018: Going digital
There’s an increasing demand for sustainability data from investors, consumers, and governments, to name only a few groups. Thousands of the world’s largest companies are producing vast amounts of non-financial data and releasing it publicly, but the information disclosed in sustainability reports is not being used effectively – by companies themselves nor by their stakeholders. In this episode, we dive into the challenges and opportunities of digitalization in sustainability reporting. The guests include John Revess, Head of Sustainability at ABB; Michel Washer, Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at Solvay; and Alyson Slater, Chief Network Engagement Officer at GRI.

11 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

September 2018: Focus on water 
GRI’s updated Water & Effluents reporting standard was officially launched during the World Water Week. This episode of Beyond Reports features an interview with Paul Reig from the World Resources Institute, who gives his view on the current state of water stewardship and how we can improve the status quo. GRI’s Chief of Standards Bastian Buck will also explain the rationale behind updating the GRI Standards, and Standards Manager Anna Krotova tells us what exactly has changed in the updated Water and Effluents reporting standard.

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Sustainability Ratings 

This Beyond Reports episode features an interview with Vigeo Eiris, a sustainability rating agency that uses Environmental, Social and Governance data to evaluate companies’ performance. The company’s Methodology and Process Manager, Keeran Gwilliam-Beeharee, tells us what makes a good sustainability report and lists some of the common challenges companies face in the process. We’ll also hear a report from Ireland, where GRI presented a preview of the new Occupational Health and Safety Standard, to be published in June.

11 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

March 2018: Why should investors care about sustainability data?

On the March episode of Beyond Reports, we speak with Amanda Feldman, Director of the Impact Management Project. She talks about the project’s work to create a common understanding of how impacts on people and the planet should be communicated and managed. This ground-breaking work has the potential to help close the gap between the information companies disclose and the information investors want. We will also hear a report from London, as well as a word from our Deputy Chief Executive Teresa Fogelberg, about the role of women and girls in the sustainable development agenda.

14 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

February 2018: Business and Human Rights

In our first episode of 2018, we talk with Caroline Rees, President of Shift, the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Caroline spoke to us about why companies should focus more attention on their human rights impacts. We also hear a report from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, where GRI’s Chief Executive Tim Mohin delivered an important message to world leaders. And we find out how GRI’s Regional Hub in South Asia is helping local businesses contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

9 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

December 2017: Swire Pacific on Reporting in Asia
Corporate social responsibility efforts are on the rise in Asia Pacific, in large part driven by new regulatory regimes, such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s requirements for listed companies. We hear from Swire Pacific’s Sustainable Development Manager Mark Harper about the company’s experience reporting in Asia, as well as investor demand for sustainability data. We also have a report from our Regional Hub US and Canada, which is gearing up for the second GRI Reporters’ Summit in February 2018.

9 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

November 2017: Curbing Carbon Emissions
With the UN Climate Change Conference, COP23, taking place in Germany early November, in this month’s show we’ll hear about the innovative ways Munich Airport is working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We also have a report from our Regional Hub China, which is busy preparing for several Networking Events in the area later this month.

12 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

October 2017: Tim Mohin
Returning from break, in this month’s podcast GRI’s Chief Executive Tim Mohin talks about GRI’s 20th Anniversary, and the competition in the sustainability reporting landscape. We’ll also hear a report from New York, where leaders from around the world gathered last month to discuss the role of the private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

12 Mb audio file – loading time depends on your connection

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GRI has pioneered sustainability reporting since the late 1990s, providing the world’s most widely used standards for sustainability reporting: 80% of the world’s 250 largest companies issue Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports in accordance with the GRI reporting guidelines.

GRI launched the GRI Standards, based on the GRI G4 Guidelines which they replace, to enable companies across the globe to disclose nonfinancial information using a common language.

There is a new modular structure, which means standards can be independently updated or new standards may be added, without the whole set of standards being revised as a consequence.

There are:

• Three Universal Standards to be used by every organization issuing a sustainability report:
  • GRI 101: Foundation: the starting point for any organization to report on its economic, environmental or social impacts using the GRI Standards
  • GRI 102: General Disclosures: sets out reporting requirements on background information concerning an organization and its sustainability reporting practices
  • GRI 103: Management Approach: sets out reporting requirements on an organization’s approach in managing a material topic

• Three series of topic-specific Standards for organizations to report on their material topics:
  • Economic Standards
  • Environmental Standards
  • Social Standards

Key advantages of GRI Standards:

• GRI Standards are more flexible and responsive to developments in reporting practices, with the new modular structure ensuring they are always up-to-date. Thus, an organization’s investment in adopting the GRI Standards for its sustainability reporting is firmly protected.

• GRI Standards, as a formal set of standards, will enable GRI to be referenced more widely by governments and regulatory authorities globally, making it easier for businesses to comply with regulations in their sector.

• GRI Standards provide a common, comprehensive language for sustainability reporting, while also allowing selective reporting on different economic, environmental or social issues.

• GRI Standards were developed on the basis of extensive feedback from a wide range of different stakeholders, thus constituting a reliable and vigorous set of standards, serving the public interest.

For a brief introduction to the GRI Standards you may watch the following video:

For a longer introduction to the GRI Standards, please watch the webinar below:

References:

1) This article was compiled using a GRI video and webinar. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses but made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the video’s and webinar’s meaning. If you would like to quote these sources from the original, please watch the video and the webinar, as seen above.

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

The post Get acquainted with GRI Standards, the first global standards for sustainability reporting appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.