International Day of Education: Spotlight on GRI Standards' Contributions
The UN International Day of Education, commemorated each year on January 24th, serves as a crucial acknowledgment of education as a fundamental human right and a shared public responsibility. This recognition positions education as a key driver for sustainable development, contributing significantly to achieving all of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The day highlights the pivotal role of inclusive and equitable education in building peaceful, just and sustainable societies. The UN also emphasizes the role and power of education to address some of the most pressing global challenges - such as climate change, discrimination, violence, and societal inequalities.
In line with the global commitment to education and human rights, GRI facilitates reporting on education-related impacts through its dedicated Topic Standard on Training and Education, which includes disclosures on organizational approach to training, upgrading employee skills, performance and career development reviews, and transition assistance programs. GRI has also been a pioneer in setting standards for reporting on human rights. In 2021, GRI published a revision of its Universal Standards, integrating human rights reporting as a core element rather than an optional, stand-alone Topic Standard. This groundbreaking update requires all organizations using GRI Standards to report on how they respect human rights. By incorporating human rights impacts into the definition of material topics, GRI ensures these critical aspects are not overlooked, providing robust support for organizations to report on their responsibility to respect human rights.
Recognizing the crucial role of education in fostering sustainable development, GRI collaborates extensively with educational institutions and has established the GRI Academy- the training platform that offers individuals an opportunity to stay informed and gain expertise through globally applicable and recognized professional development programs, including the GRI Professional Certification program. Through the GRI Academy, individuals help foster a positive change on both local and global scales by enhancing their knowledge of sustainability reporting and global standards.
The GRI Standards serve as a catalyst to that positive change, empowering organizations to be transparent about their impacts on the environment, economy, and people. Considering that knowledge is power, the GRI Standard continue to educate, empower and enable stakeholders to make more informed decisions, thereby contributing to a more just and sustainable world.
