The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), have the pleasure to invite you to contribute to the development of the GRI Financial Services Sector
Supplement (Environmental Performance).
BACKGROUND ON THE UNEP FI – GRI WORKING GROUP PROJECT:
In September 2003, UNEP FI and the GRI convened a working group to develop
a pilot version of the GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (Environmental Performance).
The goal of the Working Group is to develop a set of globally applicable indicators that will address the environmental impacts of financial sector products and services to be used in conjunction with the GRI Guidelines.
The indicators will also complement the existing GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (Social Performance). UNEP FI and GRI have drawn together a balanced, international working group of 19 leading institutions from a range of different constituencies across both the financial and non-financial sector. The Working Group is Co-Chaired by one industry and one non-industry member from the group and has met three times to review previous work on environmental performance indicators and develop the draft indicators.
The Working Group is also assisted by an Observer Group that has provided peer review and additional input throughout the indicator drafting process.
The UNEP FI – GRI Working Group as a whole is responsible for the development of the indicators and have been supported by Arthur D. Little Limited since November 2003 in doing so.
The project has sought to build upon existing work on environmental performance indicators and help advance harmonization within this field by using the global platforms of UNEP FI, and the expertise inside and outside the UNEP FI signatory institutions, and the multi-stakeholder process of the GRI and it’s reporting framework.
For more background information on this Working Group Project and Working and Observer Group member organisations please visit www.unepfi.net/gri
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:
The set of 15 draft indicators, designed to assist financial institutions worldwide to report on the environmental impacts associated with retail banking, commercial and corporate banking, asset management and insurance, have now been released for public comment on www.unepfi.net/gri/public.
UNEP FI and GRI are seeking your comments upon this draft set of indicators and encourage you to submit your comments through the web-based consultation form available from the afore mentioned link until 5th September 2004. The Working Group will then meet for a fourth time to review the feedback from this public consultation process in October 2004.
