Using the Global Reporting Initiatives Guidelines in Conjunction with ISO 26000

Hi

As you may know, the GRI Guidelines have been existing for more than 10 years now; it started as a framework for environmental reporting and later transformed into a framework for Sustainability reporting. ISO 26000 was issued only last year and the subject matter dealt with in both, one a guideline on Corporate Responsibility and the other a guideline for reporting Organizational Responsibility (Sustainability) performance, is the same. Both have evolved (and continue to evolve) through multi-stakeholder dialogue. Hence there is almost 100 % congruence as regards the subject matter addressed in these two documents. Of course, one can always point out gaps in either of them. Under these circumstances, my inference is that each is complementary to the other; at the same time they have different roles to play in the development of the subject.

With kind regards,

Ramakrishnan
 
E

Elynn

Many Thanks, Dr. Ramakrishnan. One of my questions is does the coverage publication in GRI means reporting the firm as following the guidance specifications in ISO 26000, since the correlationship is mapped? Of course, I certainly think there will be differences to the development of both GRI and ISO 26000.
 
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HI

The answer is NO based on the experience so far. If GRI reports of the past is an indication, the quality and content of coverage of core and additional indicators differed much in each of the reports and variations could also be seen in reports from the same organization from one year to the other. GRI Report presents what had been done in the past and it does not guarantee uniform and rigorous assurance of quality of this information (even though a table of where each indicator is addressed in the report, the quality of information provided against each indicator differs). I believe that organizations are struggling with quantification of what they do in areas covered under GRI indicators and ISO 26000 sections (this may be due to want of resources). Overall, I would like to say that publication of GRI report does not guarantee that all elements of ISO 26000 have been addressed by the organization with equal vigour.

with kind regards,

Ramakrishnan
 
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