May 2002 update GRI

Source: Global Reporting Initiative, 21 May 2002

May 2002 update of The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) with the following topics:

* First 33 Members of Stakeholder Council Announced
* Draft Child Labour, Energy, and Water Protocols Available
* Comment Period on Draft 2002 Guidelines Closes 26 May
* Search for Chief Executive Continues
Secretariat Position Openings in Amsterdam
* More Organisations Release Sustainability Reports
First 33 Members of Stakeholder Council Announced

It is our pleasure to announce the initial 33 members of the GRI Stakeholder Council (SC). Between November 2001 and February 2002 the GRI Secretariat received more than 130 nominations from representatives of business, civil society organisations, financial institutions, governmental organisations, academic institutions, accountancies, consulting organisations, and other constituencies from more than 30 countries worldwide. In selecting the first 33 members, the Stakeholder Council Working Group, at the request of the GRI Board, sought to achieve stakeholder and geographic balance. Three additional SC members with labour backgrounds will be added in the near future. Details of the SC members can be found on the GRI website. In addition to actively participating in the Council, the role of the initial group of SC members includes selecting the remaining 24 members of the Council, bringing the total to 60.

The GRI Stakeholder Council will play a central policy and governance role in shaping the future development of the GRI. As a formal policy forum, the Stakeholder Council will debate key strategic issues and will advise the GRI Board of Directors. The SC members are expected to fulfill numerous governance functions to ensure GRI’s continual improvement.

For more details on the role of the SC, please visit the Stakeholder Council page. Information regarding the next member selection phase and potential opportunities for involvement will be posted in June.

Draft Child Labour, Energy, and Water Protocols Available

The GRI has released three draft protocols for child labour, energy consumption, and water. The protocols are intended to clarify the measurement expectations for the individual performance indicators in Section 4 of Part C of the 2002 Draft Guidelines. The protocols provide definitions and clarifications of the terms, concepts, and expectations embedded in the indicators. These drafts are the first step in the process towards developing protocols for all GRI indicators that need detailed guidance. Comments are welcome through 17 June, with a goal of releasing revised protocols on or about 1 July. These, in turn, will be subject to pilot testing. The first three protocols released in 2002 should be considered "beta" versions. These drafts will represent the first step in the longer process of testing, review, and revision expected of all GRI guidance material.

Comment Period on Draft 2002 Guidelines Closes 26 May

The public comment period on the Draft Version of the 2002 GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines will end on 26 May 2002. GRI encourages comments from all parties on all aspects of the Draft Guidelines, including its overall architecture, flow, content, and usability. The feedback will inform the Revision Working Group’s improvements to the draft, which in turn will lead to a final version submitted to the GRI Board for its review and approval in late June 2002. The scheduled release of the 2002 Guidelines is July 2002. All public comments will be posted on the GRI website, without attribution if so requested.

Search for Chief Executive Continues

The GRI is accepting CVs and expressions of interest for the new Chief Executive position until 3 June 2002. The Chief Executive will manage the Secretariat and report to the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive will work with these bodies as well as the Stakeholder Council and Technical Advisory Council to shape GRI’s strategy and operations. Click here for Chief Executive position announcement.

Secretariat Position Openings in Amsterdam

GRI will open its Secretariat headquarters in Amsterdam in September 2002. By year-end 2002, GRI expects to add approximately 10 new staff members, working in several capacities-from administrative assistants to project managers. New positions in Amsterdam are currently posted on the GRI Careers page. Interested parties should send CVs by 3 June 2002.

More Organisations Release Sustainability Reports

We have been informed that the following organisations have prepared reports using the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines:

* Ericsson (Sweden)
* MTR Corporation (China)
* Tetra Pak Hispania (Spain)
* Triodos Bank (Netherlands)

Since the GRI Guidelines are voluntary, companies are not obligated to inform GRI of adoption or use. However, to monitor GRI’s progress, and identify needs for GRI outreach and future Guidelines revisions, the Secretariat asks all such companies to inform the Secretariat of their use of the Guidelines at info@globalreporting.org. We are keeping a cumulative list on the web site of companies that state they used the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines in preparing their reports.