Investors, companies, and business and investor organizations met to discuss sustainability disclosure in Europe on Friday 30 October in Brussels at the second European Union Workshop on Disclosure of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Information. GRI is part of the core group of participants in the EU workshops.
About sixty participants discussed current practices in investor ESG reporting, investor company-relations, ESG information needs of investors and explored ways to increase the extent and value of ESG reporting both by and for investors. The meeting, hosted by the European Commission, represented one of the first occasions where not only ‘socially responsible’ investors, but also mainstream investors came together to discuss a collective effort on the disclosure of ESG information.
For more information on the EU Workshops click here.
In related news, a meeting of global stock exchanges and investors about the need for sustainability reporting was hosted by the United Nations in New York on Monday 2 November. In light of the scattered recovery of financial markets there is a spike in interest in business and investor transparency around economic, environmental and social impacts.
The financial services sector, which includes investors, is the single largest category of GRI reporters. GRI’s Financial Services Sector Supplement to the G3 Guidelines, created with the support of UNEP FI was released earlier this year. GRI also created the “Reaching Investors” research document, advising sustainability reporters how to best gear their reports towards investors’ information needs.
For more information on GRI’s Financial Service work click here.
For more information on the UN meeting with stock exchanges and investors click here.