gri report services 2011

2011 UpdatesGRI Report ServicesGRI Webinars 22 February 2011

By Marjella Alma& Ian van der VlugtGRI – Report Services

GRI reports & Application Levels• What’s a GRI report & how to get recognized as such.• GRI application levels & external assurance “+” reports

New Support tools:• GRI content index templates + G3 Checklist

How the GRI check relates to the new Support Tools• GRI application level check

Communicating your declaration

Pricing

Outline

GRI Reports & Application Levels

What is a GRI Report?When a report:

• makes use of the G3 Guidelines.

• includes a GRI Content Index.

and preferably • declares an Application Level

GRI reports get recognition GRI reports list - free Featured reports

GRI featured reportsNew: inclusion of GRI-checked Icon on Profile page

• Objective classification system for G3 reports

• Signifies to what extent the G3 Guidelines have been used in a report.

• Meaning: Tells you which set & how many disclosures have been addressed in the reporting.

• A pathway for GRI reporters for incrementally improving GRI reporting

Basics: Application Levels

Application Level Table

• The “+” behind the declared Application Level signifies that external assurance was sought for the report.

• The reporting organization itself judges whether the reporting deserves a “+” based on key qualities outlined by GRI, see pg 38 of the G3 Guidelines.

• With external assurance, the content of the reporting is verified.

GRI’s position:• GRI recommends external assurance and gives guidance on external

assurance, see page 38 of the G3 Guidelines.• GRI does not endorse particular assurance providers or approaches to

external assurance.• During an Application Level Check: GRI only checks whether an

assurance statement has been included in the reporting.

“+” reports

For entry-level, SMEs, new reporters:

• A selected set of Profile Disclosures.• No Disclosures on Management

Approach (DMAs).• 10 core or additional Performance

Indicators – fully reported• At least 1 from each Indicator dimension:

Economic, Environmental & Social.

Use of final Sector Supplements• At least 7 G3 Performance Indicators.

Application Level C

For medium-level reporters:

• All Profile Disclosures.• All 6 Disclosures on Management

Approach (DMAs).• 20 core or additional Performance

Indicators – fully reported• At least 1 from each Indicator category:

EC, EN, LA, HR, SO & PR.

Use of final Sector Supplements• At least 14 G3 Performance Indicators.

Application Level B

For advanced reporters:“tell the complete story”

• All Profile Disclosures.• All 6 Disclosures on Management

Approach (DMAs).• All core Performance Indicators –

addressed (= fully/partial/not).

Use of final Sector Supplements• All core Sector Supplement Indicators

mandatory for Application Level A.

Application Level A

• a grade.

• related to the quality of a report.

• related to the sustainability performance of a reporter.

• signifying compliance with GRI or the G3 Guidelines.

Application Levels are NOT

Report or explain: Application Level A

• Not material, because…<reason why>.

• Not available, because…<reason why>, but will be reported on in…<commitment towards future reporting>.

• Not allowed, by local law or because information is seen as business confidential.

Reasons for omissions need to be included in GRI content index.

The GRI Content Index is the specification of an Application Level and the gateway to your reporting:

1. it has a communication function for reporters to support their Application Level declaration (report or explain).

2. it has a navigation function for report users, enabling them to effectively find the ESG data of interest.

GRI Content Index

New Support Tools

GRI Content Index Template

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GRI content index templateEXAMPLE: How to communicate about reporting your Performance Indicators:

• Column “reported” • for Application Level B & C: yes (=fully) for 20 or 10 performance

indicators; for A: yes/no/partially.• Column “cross-references/direct answer”• For all levels this means “(partially- A only) reported”.

• Column “reason for omission”• For Level A only: not material/not available/proprietary

• Column “explanation”• For Level A only: explain why not material or not available

• Column “to be reported by”• For Level A only: indicate the year by which you will report in case of

the data not being available.

GRI Checklist

How the GRI check relates to the new Support Tools

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GRI Application Level CheckTwo parts:

GRI Content Index check.

The Check confirms that:

the required set and number of disclosures for that Application Level have been addressed in the reporting

that the GRI Content Index demonstrates a valid representation of that particular level.

Sample disclosure content check of the actual reporting.

Content Index template + G3 Checklist

• GRI reporters fill in the template and send the template to GRI.• 3 versions: A, B, C.

• For application level A: GRI reporters fill in the G3 checklist when indicating “partially reporting” in the template.

Venue, Date

Communicating your declaration

How to declare:

Declaration options

1. Self-declaration – text in reporting: “we have self-assessed our reporting to be Application Level B”

2. 3rd party check – text in reporting: “our Application Level has been checked by <party XX>”

Option: Include a check mark on theApplication Level Table.

GRI Application Level Check Statement

The Statement

Key items addressed:

• Meaning of Application Levels• Value of Application Level Check• Relation to external assurance

Pricing

Pricing & Packaged Offerings

--->> - Non-OS 10% discount- OS 20% discount

More information

reportservices@globalreporting.org

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