Global Reporting Initiative invites Telecom sector

Source: Telecom.paper, 28 March 2003

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an organization with a mission of developing a generally accepted, organization-level sustainability reporting framework through a multi-stakeholder, global consultative process that has involved corporations, NGOs, governments, accountancies, consultancies, labor organizations, investors, and others.

GRI is now inviting comments from companies and other stakeholders on the working draft of a Telecommunications Sectoral Supplement to the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. In August 2002, the GRI and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) convened a task force to draft a supplement to the 2002 GRI Guidelines. The objective of this supplement is to identify additional telecom-specific economic, environmental, and social issues not directly captured in the Guidelines, and is being designed with both service providers and equipment manufacturers in the telecom sector in mind.
After three task force meetings, the process of developing a pilot version of the supplement has now entered the final stage. The 2nd draft of the supplement is now being circulated for public comment and follows a version issued in December last year. The consultation process is open until May 20. Thereafter the GRI will be incorporating feedback into the final task force meeting scheduled to be held on 27-28 May. The GRI Guidelines have been adopted by over 200 leading companies in 24 countries. The GRI is a Collaborating Center of UN Environmental Program Supplements for the Tour Operators and Financial Services (social performance) sectors have already been developed and are currently in pilot version.