GRI Present in New York for the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC
GRI was pleased to host its own event, Aligning Private Sector Disclosures with the Sustainable Development Agenda- Launch of Carrots & Sticks Report, during the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC. The event marked the official launch of the 2023 edition of Carrots & Sticks report and database, a free-to-use online database and document repository which comprises 2,463 policies in 132 countries, 76 international and regional organizations, in 38 languages, which range from 1897 to the present day. GRI was delighted by the high level of interest in the new resources and glad to welcome over 100 participants at the launch event.
GRI’s involvement during Climate Week was not limited to the launch event but extended throughout the week. GRI had the privilege of being present at several key moments, including the celebration of collaborators’ efforts such as the TNFD launch of its final recommendations on nature related issues at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As a formal Knowledge Partner to the TNFD, GRI actively engaged with TNFD in the development of their recommendations and GRI celebrates this impactful accomplishment by the TNFD. The TNFD recommendations will be incorporated into aspects of the new revised GRI Biodiversity Standard that will be published within the next two quarters.
GRI North America’s Head of Engagement and Public Affairs, Matthew Rusk, spoke at Nasdaq Annual NY Climate Week conference 2023. The event’s session on Driving your Sustainability Program to Success with the Right Tools highlighted the need for cross-functional team involvement in the sustainability reporting process, the importance of internal controls and processes to gather credible, auditable information, and the helpful role software tools and solutions play in the reporting process. GRI continues to work with certified Software and Tools Partners, like Nasdaq, to embed the GRI Standards into tools that assist in impact materiality assessment, enable increased transparency and accountability, improve sustainability and ESG-related data management, meet regulatory and reporting obligations more easily, and build trust with stakeholders.
Multiple representatives from GRI North America and members of the GRI’s International Policy Team, remained present across a diverse array of events throughout the week, including the Nest Climate Campus, SDG Summit USA, Axios’The Climate for Corporate Impact, Climate Week NYC – We Can. We Will, UNGC Leaders Summit, 2023 Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit, FP Food Forum @UNGA78, Sustainable Investment Forum, and World Biodiversity Summit. These events presented unique opportunities for GRI to engage with stakeholders of different backgrounds and constituencies, all dedicated to elevating organizations' transparency, accountability, and actions to create a more sustainable and just society. The GRI North America team was pleased to incorporate a special focus on participating in a plethora of convenings addressing sustainability challenges within the food system, where GRI 13 Standard can be a powerful tool for identifying and reporting on agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing activities’ most important impacts on the economy, society, and environment.
With a growing presence in North America, GRI will continue to actively engage with stakeholders and partners in the region, not only during this important week that brings stakeholders from around the world together, but every week.
