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BUSINESS RESPECT
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Arguments against CSR and some answers
Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility
Discussion
The Global Reporting Initiative - is it fit for purpose?
Translations
Companies in the News
Case studies of managing a crisis
Odwalla
Johnson & Johnson
and Tylenol
Exxon Valdez
Snow Brand Milk
Products
Emerging Issues
Drugs companies and AIDS
When to quit a bad country
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative was initially convened by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES), a non-profit coalition of over 50 investor, environmental, religious, labour and social justice groups. Its vision is that "reporting on economic, environmental, and social performance by all organizations is as routine and comparable as financial reporting.
The GRI has developed a set of core metrics intended to be applicable to all business enterprises, sets of sector-specific metrics for specific types of enterprisesand a uniform format for reporting information integral to a company's sustainability performance.
Since its inception, the GRI has become a worldwide, multi-stakeholder network which includes representatives from business, civil society, labour, investors, accountants and others. Revisions to the framework take place through an exhaustive set of committees and subcommittees, but the GRI says that its multi-stakeholder approach does ensure the credibility and trust needed to make a global framework successful.
In broad terms, the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines recommend specific information related to environmental, social and economic performance. It is structured around a CEO statement, key environmental, social and economic indicators, a profile of the reporting entity, descriptions of relevant policies and management systems, stakeholder relationships, management performance, operational performance, product performance and a sustainability overview.
Commentary
I have written two separate pieces of analysis on the GRI since it was first created. They are highlighted below in descending order.
The Global Reporting Initiative - leap forward or last gasp?
It was about four years ago that I first wrote an article focusing on the substance behind the Global Reporting Initiative. Whilst welcoming the mission of the GRI, and acknowledging the wide-ranging approval that had been granted to its multistakeholder approach, I felt that the quality of the actual indicator framework was poor. A great process that produces a duff product is not a great process at all. (Published Ethical Corporation March 2006). Read full story >>
The GRI - the will to succeed is not enough
In case you managed to miss it, the Global Reporting Initiative was inaugurated last week at a luncheon at the United Nations in New York. The New York Times and the Financial Times were both prompted to carry good pieces on CSR reporting, and the importance of the event was marked by many in the CSR world. (Published Busines Respect April 2002).
Read full story>>
For further information about the Global Reporting Initiative, visit the website at http://www.globalreporting.org
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This page is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility site of Mallen Baker. It is constantly updated with analysis and opinion pieces on different aspects of CSR - with a mostly international focus, with some particular interests on the UK.
Initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative will be covered, and updated, periodically on the site, and in the free CSR fortnightly email newsletter associated with the site, Business Respect. The easiest way to keep in touch is to subscribe.
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Dow Jones Sustainability Index
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Site last updated on 30th June 2008