Events, Media & Communications

GRI Reporters’ Summit North America: Learn, Master, Lead

Dec 20, 2017 12:05 PM ET
Campaign: Empowering Sustainable Decisions

Sustainability professionals encounter many challenges on their reporting journey. How do you get started? What guidance should you follow, what are your material topics and how can you best engage your stakeholders? And how do you take bold steps to lead emerging trends in reporting and transparency?

​On 5 February 2018, we’re heading back to Arizona, USA for the learning and networking symposium for sustainability professionals: the GRI Reporters’ Summit. Taking place at the brand new Beus Center for Law and Society, part of Arizona State University’s downtown Phoenix campus, the Summit will bring together sustainability reporting professionals from across North America to explore practical solutions and valuable learning they can take back to their organizations.

At this year’s GRI Reporters’ Summit, we’ll cover the full spectrum of reporting knowledge and skills, with workshops on everything from best practice for first-time reporters to using the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards, harmonizing with other reporting frameworks and maximizing value from stakeholder engagement. 

We’re welcoming a host of seasoned reporters to run workshops in their areas of expertise, including sponsors Brown Flynn and EcoVadis. The workshops will give practical guidance on various aspects of reporting, helping delegates take the next step on their journey, wherever they might be today.

“As companies mature in their sustainability strategies, so should their reporting,” said Barb Brown, Co-Founder/Principal of BrownFlynn. “That’s why BrownFlynn is excited to lead a session on how GRI can be leveraged as an integrated reporting framework.”

We’ll also be diving into specifics, such as reporting as a tool for making a difference. Pierre-François Thaler, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of EcoVadis, commented: “I will encourage a conversation on how the CSR community can strengthen their role in the sustainable procurement space, and enumerate the ways that EcoVadis, among others, can support GRI reporting on supply chain and help CSR professionals scale up their impact.”

Take the next step: join us

The workshops at the Summit will be practical, tangible and immediately actionable:

  • Sustainability Communications: Getting the Right Messages to the Right People
  • Best Practices for First Time Reporters 
  • Harmonizing GRI with other Reporting Frameworks
  • Maximizing Value from Stakeholder Engagement
  • Managing Data from within your Supply Chain
  • From Mapping to Action: SDGs as a Framework for Delivering Transformative Change
  • Transitioning from G4 to the GRI Standards
  • Reporting without a GRI Standard
  • Making your Materiality Assessment Work Harder
  • Effective Management Approach Disclosures
  • Sustainability Reporting and the Growing Regulatory Environment
  • Assurance: What it Means and What to Do

“We are supporting the Summit to reinforce the connection between the GRI reporting community's work and the positive footprint that is made on communities across the world by harnessing the power of global supply chains,” added Thaler. “Reporting sets the language that helps guide the way, and the more light we can shed on how EcoVadis supports GRI reporting on sustainable supply chain, the more we can learn about the needs and questions of GRI reporters, the better we can help leverage our synergies and build momentum.”

The Summit is not only inspirational for delegates, but also for the workshop hosts. By connecting with professionals of all levels of experience, everyone can gain a broader perspective and go back to their organizations with new skills, ideas and enthusiasm.

“We find the GRI Reporters’ Summit to be invaluable – it provides a unique forum where experts and reporters come together to share experiences and uncover opportunities for both streamlining and improving reporting activities,” commented Brown. “After every Summit, the BrownFlynn team and attendees alike walk away inspired and ready to contribute to further progressing sustainability.”

Registration is now open, but spaces are limited – register your place now and enjoy the early fee until 12 January. We look forward to welcoming you to the Summit in Arizona on 5 February 2018!

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