GRI Opens Call for Experts To Join Pollution Standards Working Group

In a significant step towards advancing sustainable development, GRI has initiated the recruitment process for a specialized working group. This group will be responsible for developing new reporting standards focused on pollution, including air, water, and soil pollution. With 14,000 organizations using the GRI standards, many of which find pollution to be a material topic, these new standards will help thousands to increase transparency and accountability for their pollution impacts.

The Importance of the Pollution Standard

Pollution is a pervasive issue that affects every corner of the globe. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), outdoor air pollution caused approximately 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. Soil pollution is also alarming, with 16% of China's soil polluted and around three million potentially contaminated sites in the European Economic Area and the West Balkans. Healthy soil is crucial not only for agriculture and biodiversity but also for its role in storing carbon dioxide (CO2).

Comprehensive and Inclusive Approach

The project will follow the GSSB’s Due Process Protocol and aims to develop standards that reflect the latest internationally agreed best practices and relevant intergovernmental instruments. Two overarching themes have been identified: emissions to air, soil, and water, and critical incident management. This holistic approach ensures that all dimensions of pollution are addressed comprehensively.

Recruitment of Multistakeholder Working Group

GRI is calling on experts worldwide to join this vital initiative. The recruitment process is open until August 18, 2024. As with all GRI standard development group members, the working group will include representatives from GRI’s five constituencies: business enterprises, investment institutions, labor organizations, mediating institutions, and civil society to ensure the standards serve the public interested and diverse stakeholders. Experts with backgrounds in reporting on air and soil pollutant emissions, hazardous substances, and critical incident management are particularly encouraged to apply.

North American Representation

North American representation in recent standards development projects has been strong, with over a quarter of members of the groups coming from the region. For example, 31% of the Technical Committee members for the climate change project were from North America, 22% for the biodiversity project, 23% for the financial services project, and 25% for the textile and apparel project. This robust participation underscores the importance of having diverse perspectives in shaping global standards.

GRI emphasizes the importance of continued North American representation in this project for global standards.

How to Apply

GRI invites professionals and experts from North America and around the world to apply for this critical working group. By participating, you can play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development and addressing the pressing issue of pollution.

All interested experts will be invited to nominate themselves to be part of the Working Group, by submitting their CVs and the application form to pollution@globalreporting.org, on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the latest.

More information is available on the project website.