GRI Transition To Standards (“G4”) Available For Public Comment
Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The first set of exposure drafts of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards is now available for public comment. Individuals or organisations wishing to comment on the latest standards should log on to the GRI Consultation Platform and register. Thereafter, they can access the drafts page and select which documents they wish to review. The drafts are open for comment from 19th April 2016 until the 17th July 2016.

The GRI Standards will include the same main concepts and all relevant disclosures from G4, in an improved structure, format, and presentation. The content from the GRI G4 Guidelines and Implementation Manual form the basis for the content in GRI Standards. There will be three ‘universal’ standards applicable to all organizations, and approximately 35 ‘topic-specific’ standards based on the Aspects within G4. This first set of exposure drafts includes the three GRI Standards that will be applicable to all organizations:

  • The Foundation Standard includes the Reporting Principles and ‘in accordance’ criteria. This is the entry point for organizations using GRI Standards.
  • The General Disclosures Standard covers organizational profile, governance, stakeholder engagement, reporting practice, strategy and analysis.
  • The Management Approach Standard includes the disclosure on management approach (DMA) from G4, and may be used with any topic-specific GRI Standard.

The exposure drafts will also include three topic-specific GRI Standards: Emissions, Indirect Economic Impacts and Public Policy.

GRI Standards are primarily intended to be used together as a set of standards. Organizations preparing a sustainability report ‘in accordance’ with GRI Standards will use all three universal standards and will be able to make their own selection of relevant topic-specific standards, based on those that are material. Organizations can also use individual GRI Standards or their contents to disclose specific sustainability information and are required to include a reference in any published materials.

GRI is an international independent organization that has pioneered corporate sustainability reporting since 1997. GRI helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate the impact of business on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption and many others.