Paper, planes and people: GRI announces 2009/10 sustainability report

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) August 18,  2011 - Recycling, traveling and networking are three key activities highlighted in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’s latest sustainability report, released today. Paper, planes and people outlines GRI’s main sustainability impacts and reports its performance, achievements and goals. 

GRI drives sustainability reporting by all organizations, by producing a comprehensive Sustainability Reporting Framework that is widely used around the world. The Framework, including the Reporting Guidelines, sets out the Principles and Indicators organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance. GRI is committed to continuously improving and increasing the use of the Guidelines, which are freely available to the public.   GRI has followed its own Guidelines to produce its 2009/10 sustainability report, at Application Level A. Application Levels reflect the extent to which GRI’s Guidelines have been followed.   Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive of the Global Reporting Initiative, said: “GRI wants to practice what it preaches. We hope this sustainability report helps you to understand GRI’s sustainability performance, and the work we are doing to reduce and be transparent about our own environmental, social and economic impacts.”   During the 2009/10 reporting period GRI continued to work according to three strategic objectives: to continuously improve the Sustainability Reporting Framework, which is widely used around the world; to increase the value of GRI-based sustainability reporting for businesses and other organizations; and to increase the value of reporting for stakeholders, readers, and users of information.In working towards these objectives, GRI used paper, travelled on planes and employed people.   GRI aims to ensure diversity in the workplace, and Secretariat staff came from more than 20 different countries in 2009/10. Diversity also includes gender, and one of GRI’s future sustainability goals is for the Governance Nominating Committee to nominate more women for GRI’s Board of Directors in the future.   The Secretariat itself had limited environmental impacts, the two biggest being travel and paper use.The majority of GRI staff came to work by bike or through public transport:GRI’s significant indirect emissions were the result of international travel by staff. In 2009/10, emissions from staff air travel decreased by 13.3 percent.   GRI’s biggest event of the reporting year had a big impact on sustainability reporting worldwide, but GRI worked hard to keep its sustainability impacts low.   In 2010, GRI held the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency. More than 1200 people from 77 countries attended the three day conference. All carbon emissions were offset. No bottled water or plastic utensils at the Conference, and paper waste was separated and recycled. Organic food was served, and the venue chosen had a comprehensive sustainability policy. All printed Conference material was 100 percent recycled.   “The next few years will provide GRI with some big challenges. Sustainability is becoming vital for life on the planet, with immediate relevance for business, markets and society. As we continue to drive sustainability reporting, GRI will work hard to make sure its own impacts are minimized,” added Ligteringen.   Should you wish to give your feedback on this 2009/10 report, or ask any questions, please contact GRI at info@globalreporting.org.   To download GRI’s 2009/10 Sustainability Report, visit http://www.globalreporting.org/GRIsOwnReports.   For more information, contact:   Lucy Goodchild Press & Communications Manager Global Reporting Initiative
Tel: +31 (0)20 531 0067
Out of office hours: +31 (0)6 303 99 531
Email: goodchild@globalreporting.org   About the Global Reporting Initiative

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) drives sustainability reporting by all organizations. GRI produces a comprehensive Sustainability Reporting Framework that is widely used around the world, to enable greater organizational transparency. The Framework, including the Reporting Guidelines, sets out the Principles and Indicators organizations can use to report their economic, environmental, and social performance. GRI is committed to continuously improving and increasing the use of the Guidelines, which are freely available to the public.

GRI, a multi-stakeholder non-governmental organization, was founded in the US in 1997 by CERES and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). In 2002, GRI moved its central office to Amsterdam, where the Secretariat is currently located. GRI has regional ‘Focal Points’ in Australia, Brazil, China, India and the USA, and a worldwide network of 30,000 people.

Website: www.globalreporting.org