GRI Launches Digital Reporting Alliance

    Amsterdam, May 19, 2016 /3BL Media/ -- Today, international sustainability standard setter GRI announced its newest technology initiative, the Digital Reporting Alliance, on the second day of the 5th GRI Global Conference. The Digital Reporting Alliance will address two key challenges in sustainability reporting: the lack of structured data and the lack of demand for digital reporting. The initiative will create the technical infrastructure for digital reporting by promoting an XBRL taxonomy and a platform for filing digital reports. The founding of the alliance coincides with the release of the first set of exposure drafts of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards which are now available for public comment.   “Sustainability information from business and government represents a vast amount of data that is currently underutilized. For innovation to take place, this information needs to be liberated and provided in a way that can be analyzed and integrated,” said Michael Meehan, GRI’s Chief Executive. “There is overwhelming public and private sector demand for GRI to provide this data so that these organizations can develop innovative solutions. This was the number one recommendation from the GRI Technology Consortium and the Digital Reporting Alliance will put this recommendation into practice.”

GRI recognizes that collaboration in this space is critical and has also announced a number of other new partnerships with leading technology and innovation organizations: Climate-KIC, RobecoSAM, TCS, WikiRate, and Workiva. These partnerships, in addition to the Digital Reporting Alliance, will help organizations and stakeholders to lead for the next era of corporate disclosure, which will be digital, responsible and interactive.

For more information about the GRI Digital Reporting Alliance and how to join, please contact Bastian Buck, Director Standards Division, at buck@globalreporting.org. For GRI press queries, please contact GRI Media Relations Manager Davion Ford at ford@globalreporting.org

About GRI
GRI™ is an international independent organization that has pioneered corporate sustainability reporting since 1997. GRI helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate the impact of business on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption and many others. With thousands of reporters in over 90 countries, GRI provides the world’s most trusted and widely used standards on sustainability reporting, enabling organizations and their stakeholders to make better decisions based on information that matters. Currently, 38 countries and regions reference GRI in their policies. GRI is built upon a unique multi-stakeholder principle, which ensures the participation and expertise of diverse stakeholders in the development of its standards. GRI’s mission is to empower decision-makers everywhere, through its standards and multi-stakeholder network, to take action towards a more sustainable economy and world.