Global Reporting Initiative

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a project formed in 1997 by U.S.-based Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies and the United Nations Environment Program to develop guidelines for sustainability or triple-bottom-line reporting. Sustainability reporting is based on the value of sustainability, defined as supporting the continued existence and welfare of oneself and identified others, and transparency, that is, being accountable to stakeholders who have a legitimate interest in organizational performance related to sustainable behaviors. The sustainability reporting framework is an expansion of the financial reporting framework that includes an organization's broader economic, social, and environmental impacts.

The GRI's framework for reporting organizational performance is intended to bring greater uniformity and comprehensiveness to sustainability reports. Without a common reporting framework and standards, it is difficult to compare ...