Integrated Reporting

GRI is supportive of integrated reporting as it develops as an important and necessary innovation of corporate reporting.

GRI advocates for the inclusion of robust sustainability metrics (based on a multi-stakeholder approach) to integrated reporting, in support of its overall vision of a sustainable global economy.

As a pioneer in the development of sustainability reporting over the last two decades and the global standard setter for sustainability disclosures, GRI believes it has a central role to play and a duty to collaborate actively in the further development of integrated reporting.

GRI believes that integrated reporting which incorporates appropriate material sustainability information equally alongside financial information provides reporting organizations with a broad perspective on risk.

Thousands of organizations around the world use the GRI standard to disclose sustainability information, and some are currently experimenting with integrated reporting. To further the development of integrated reporting and actively participate in its evolution, GRI convenes a Corporate Leadership Group on integrated reporting with a group of its GOLD Community members and other companies engaging in sustainability reporting and integrated reporting, to be able to contribute more directly to ongoing dialogue around integrated reporting. 

Take a look at the publicatin summarizing the work done in the first phase of the GRI Corporate Leadership Group on integrated reporting (CLGir). Forging a path to integrated reporting: Insights from the GRI Corporate Leadership Group on integrated reporting reveals challenges, questions raised, and solutions from the group of experienced companies which have chosen to use an integrated approach to reporting. 

The second phase of the CLGir begins in 2017. If you would like to join the Corporate Leadership Group on integrated reporting or know more, please contact us at GOLD@globalreporting.org.

As one of its co-conveners, GRI has been involved with the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) since its inception in 2010. GRI continues to participate in IIRC’s governance bodies and collaborates on events where it advocates for a multi-stakeholder approach to integrated reporting that embeds material sustainability and financial information. GRI and IIRC signed a new Memorandum of Understanding in March 2015, and a summary of their current collaboration is below:

GRI and the IIRC working together
GRI and IIRC work together as strategic partners. They share a vision for the evolution of corporate reporting in which alignment and clarity of corporate reporting frameworks, standards and requirements drive consistency and comparability, leading to improved efficiency and effectiveness in corporate reporting practices. Both organizations recognize the importance of corporate reporting in promoting sustainable development. GRI and the IIRC acknowledge the complementarity of their respective roles, on the basis that sustainability reporting is central to integrated reporting. GRI’s G4 is an important starting point to ensure that robust sustainability metrics are included in integrated reports, based on the International <IR> Framework, where material to value creation over time. Both organizations are committed to identifying means of alignment with the aim to strengthen corporate reporting. They will continue to proactively communicate to the market the role, nature and alignment of each other’s framework, guidelines, and standards to aid understanding and clarity in the corporate reporting environment. Through their continuing collaboration, they will aim to express, where possible, a common voice on relevant aspects of their respective activities and other matters of mutual interest.