THE FUTURE OF REPORTING

Introducing the
GRI Standards
October 2016
#GRIStandards

Bastian Buck (Director, Standards) and

Chelsea Reinhardt (Deputy Director, Standards)
What well cover in this presentation

Content:
Background on GRI and sustainability reporting
Overview and benefits of the GRI Standards
New features and improvements
How the Standards can be used
Implications for reporters
Additional resources

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Background
Background on GRI and sustainability reporting

Since 2000, GRIs Sustainability Reporting Guidelines have been used by

thousands of organizations in more than 90 countries to report
publicly about their impacts on the economy, the environment, and
society
Reporting on these impacts enables
organizations, and their stakeholders, to
understand their contributions towards
the goal of sustainable development

Now, the worlds most widely-adopted

sustainability reporting guidelines have
been further refined to become the first-ever
Sustainability Reporting Standards

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Click here for a short animation video on the GRI Standards

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Overview and benefits of the Standards
About the Standards

The GRI Standards incorporate the key concepts and disclosures from the G4
Guidelines and G4 Implementation Manual, but with a new and improved structure
and format
The Standards are issued by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB),
GRIs independent standard-setting body

G4 Guidelines and G4 Implementation NEW Set of modular GRI Standards

Manual

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 Benefits

The GRI Standards will deliver:

A more flexible and future-proof structure:
ensuring the GRI Standards remain up-to-date and
relevant
Greater suitability for referencing in policy
initiatives: to enable further integration into
government and market legislation around the
world
A global common language for non-financial information: one
universal framework and set of disclosures to meet all sustainability reporting
needs from comprehensive reports to issue-specific disclosures
Standards that are credible and robust: developed with true multi-
stakeholder contributions and rooted in the public interest

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New features and improvements
Summary of new features and improvements
compared to G4

New modular structure The Standards are now organized as a set of modular,
interrelated standards

The new format has clear distinctions between

New format with
requirements (indicated by shall), recommendations
clearer requirements (should) and guidance

Content clarifications Key concepts from G4 have been clarified to improve

understanding and application of the Standards

Greater flexibility and For organizations preparing a report in accordance with

transparency in how to the Standards as well as those using selected Standards
use the Standards to report specific information

Overall editing Content from G4 has been edited for greater clarity
and simpler language

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Navigating the new modular structure

The set of GRI Standards includes:

3 universal Standards,
applicable to all organizations

33 topic-specific Standards,
organized into Economic,
Environmental, and Social series

Organizations select and use only

the relevant topic-specific
Standards, based on their material
topics

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More detail on the universal Standards

The 100 series of Standards are applicable to all organizations

GRI 101: Foundation includes the Reporting
Starting point for using
Principles, basic requirements for using the Standards the GRI Standards
for sustainability reporting, and detail on how to use
and reference the Standards (including the in
accordance criteria from G4)

GRI 102: General Disclosures includes the

General Standard Disclosures from G4

GRI 103: Management Approach includes the

Disclosures on Management Approach (DMA)
content from G4, along with additional guidance and
Used together with each
recommendations (e.g., grievance mechanisms content topic-specific Standard
from G4)

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Revised terminology and numbering

Some G4 terminology has been simplified: A detailed from Mapping G4 to the GRI Standards
document can be found on the GRI Website with
changes by disclosure and topic
indicator disclosure (covers both
qualitative and quantitative disclosures)
Aspect topic (refers to all topics,
whether covered by the GRI Standards or not)
disclosures on management approach (DMA)
management approach disclosures

G4 disclosures (including indicators) have new unique identifiers, based on the

number of the Standard, e.g.:
Disclosure G4-10 is now 102-8 (located in GRI 102: General Disclosures)
Indicator G4-EN15 is now 305-1 (located in GRI 305: Emissions)

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Inside each Standard new format with clearer
requirements

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Content clarifications overview

Clarifications have been provided for some key G4 concepts,

including:
The definition of impacts as related to materiality
Using the GRI Sector Disclosures to identify material topics
Reporting on other material topics (not covered by the GRI
Standards)
Found in GRI
Required explanations when using reasons for omission 101: Foundation
Notifying GRI of the use of the Standards
Also found in GRI
Identifying and reporting the concept of topic boundary
103: Management
How to report on topics if the Boundary extends outside the Approach
organization
Found in selected
Use of employee/ worker terminology content throughout
the Standards

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Selected content clarifications

Definition of impacts as related to materiality

Clarification: impacts refers to effects on the economy, the environment, and/or society
(does not focus on impacts on the organization)
Applying the Materiality principle requires identifying material topics based on the two
dimensions of this principle

Reporting on material topics not covered by the GRI

Standards
Clarification: all material topics are to be included in an
in accordance report
For topics not covered by the GRI Standards, the
organization is required to report its management
approach (using GRI 103) and is recommended to report
See Section 2 of GRI 101: Foundation
other appropriate disclosures for more detail

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Selected content clarifications (cont)

Identifying and reporting the topic Boundary

The topic Boundary is now included in GRI 103: Management Approach
It has been simplified to be more clear and to align more closely with
key references (i.e., UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines for
MNEs)
The topic Boundary now
describes where the impacts
occur for each material topic,
and the organizations
involvement with the
impacts (e.g., whether it causes,
contributes to, or is directly linked to
the impact through a business
relationship)
See GRI 103: Management Approach for more detail

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Using and referencing the Standards
Two basic approaches for using the GRI Standards

The GRI Standards are designed primarily to be used together

to prepare a report in accordance with the Standards
Preparing a This signals that the Reporting Principles have been applied,
report in and that the organization has identified and reported on all
accordance with material topics
the Standards
Core and Comprehensive options from G4 continue (with
minor changes due to the new structure)

Selected Standards can also be used to report specific

Using selected information
GRI Standards This is called a GRI-referenced claim and must clearly
reference which Standards or sections have been used

Using the GRI Standards requires including a specific claim in all published materials, and notifying GRI
of the use of the Standards. See section 3 of GRI 101: Foundation.

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 Implications for reporters

Including additional resources available to support the

transition from G4 to the GRI Standards
Implications for reporters

For organizations already reporting in accordance with G4, impacts on the

reporting process should be relatively minor
This is not G5 no new topics have been added, and key concepts and most
disclosures from G4 carry through
Reporting Principles, management approach (DMA) and the emphasis on reporting only
material topics remain
Some disclosures have been clarified, and some content has been relocated or merged
in order to reduce duplication (see detailed mapping document on GRI website)
It is still required for organizations to notify GRI of the use of the Standards in any
reports or other published materials (see GRI 101: Foundation)

The Standards will be required for all reports or other materials published on or after
1 July 2018 earlier adoption is encouraged.
The G4 Guidelines remain in effect until this date.

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Additional resources

Detailed Mapping G4 to the GRI Standards document, showing changes from G4

by topic (Aspect) and disclosure
New half-day training module offered through GRIs Certified Training Partners:
Transitioning from G4 to the GRI Standards
Live webinars with the GRI Standards Division (19 and 26 October) to explain the
changes and answer questions
Excerpt from the Mapping G4 to the GRI
Standards document
Recorded webinars and presentation on key changes
Free, in-person launch events in selected countries
Translated versions for key languages (expected
2017)
GRI Standards Pioneers program for early
adopters
For more detail, see: globalreporting.org/standards

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 Thank you

standards@globalreporting.org
www.globalreporting.org
GRI
Barbara Strozzilaan 336
1083 HN Amsterdam
The Netherlands