SDG target 12.6 requires Member States to encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle. Based on this specific target, GRI has developed relevant activities and initiatives within its objective to enable smart policy. 
 

 The Inclusion of Private Sector

 
​GRI championed the inclusion of a strong private sector role in the SDGs, as seen in Target 12.6. 

Throughout the development process of the Sustainable Development Goals, GRI has worked in collaboration with the UN and other international organizations to champion the inclusion of a strong private sector role in the SDGs. SDGs Target 12.6 encourages companies to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycles. 

By acknowledging that significant private sector action is needed to foster sustainable development, the SDGs leap forward from the Millennium Development Goals, which they now replace. Going forward, GRI will continue engaging with national and regional governments, as well as international authorities, to enable smart policy in furtherance of the SDGs. 
 

 How Business Accelerates the Sustainable Development Goals

 

GRI - Business Call to Action/ United Nations Development Program Publication 'Measuring Impact: How Business Accelerates the Sustainable Development Goals' is a joint publication from Business Call to Action (BCtA) and GRI, to share early learnings on private sector support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It examines how companies measure their contribution to the SDGs through impact measurement and sustainability reporting, and explores how governments consider the business contribution to the SDGs. The report draws on consultations with 32 companies and 19 governments.
 

 GRI disclosure database – Live tracker 12.6

 

In 2016, GRI developed the SDG Target 12.6 – Live Tracker, in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services, to assist governments in monitoring and tracking progress. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of the leading Global IT Services companies, is at the forefront of developing technology solutions that enhance effectiveness of sustainability interventions, and improve Monitoring and Evaluation, thereby enabling better decision making. The SDG Target 12.6 - Live Tracker provides an overview of sustainability policies and reporting practices by companies around the world. GRI supports decision makers who are committed to achieving the SDGs. GRI’s work in this area is focused on the sustainability reporting process, the value of the information that comes from it and getting this data into the right hands. By helping companies report their contributions to the SDGs, GRI facilitates the creation of data, which governments can use to track progress toward the SDGs and inform better decision making. 
 

 Can corporate reporting help end poverty?

 

In September 2016, GRI embarked on a research project to uncover the concrete connections between sustainability reporting and poverty alleviation linked to SDG 1, through a series of focus groups, interviews, a deep-dive case study by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and an extensive analysis of sustainability reports. The research project, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has culminated in a new GRI publication ‘Can corporate reporting help end poverty?’ The publication presents vital findings from this research project, such as the need for companies to move beyond philanthropy and community engagement, towards strategies with large-scale impacts.
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