The first set of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards, which mark a transition from ‘guidelines’ to ‘standards,’ was released for public comment on 19 April. For a period of 90 days from the release date, stakeholders can review and provide feedback on the initial set of six GRI Standards to the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), the independent standard-setting body, which has been commissioned to develop and approve GRI Standards. Comments on the revised format and structure of GRI Standards can be submitted via the GRI Consultation Platform. The public comment period for the Standards is intended to ensure that they are developed through what the board describes as “a multi-stakeholder approach.” Currently, 38 countries and regions reference GRI in their policies on sustainability reporting.
The new GRI Standards will cover the same subjects and related disclosures that were included in G4, the reporting guidelines issued in May 2013, but will be presented in an improved structure and format. As a guide to what is to come, Part 1 of G4 has the Standard Disclosures that all organizations should use to report their sustainability impacts and performance. It also describes the Reporting Principles that demonstrate effective reporting, as well as the criteria for meeting the Guidelines. ?Part 2, the Implementation Manual, explains:
