GRI Develops Network in South Africa

Members of the GRI Secretariat travelled to South Africa in May and June to address several project and constituency building efforts underway in the region. Below are brief synopses of activities and significant developments:

Johannesburg Stock Exchange and GRI Reporting
The King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa (known as “King 2”) was released in March of this year, and has been heralded internationally as one of the most comprehensive and progressive blueprints for corporate governance in the world.

King 2 sets the stage for good corporate governance in South Africa via the Code of Corporate Practices and Conduct – to which all companies operating in South Africa are urged to adhere. A decision by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) now requires all listed companies to comply with The King 2 Code of Conduct.

Section 5 of The Code is directly relevant to GRI and covers Integrated Sustainability Reporting. It states: “Disclosure of non-financial information should be governed by the principles of reliability, relevance, clarity, comparability, timeliness and verifiability with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Guidelines…”

This landmark decision by the JSE marks the first time a major stock exchange recognises sustainability reporting according to the GRI Guidelines.
Planning Meetings for November Briefing
The GRI is working with 40 partners in South Africa from different stakeholder groups to host a large briefing event in Johannesburg in November 2002. The briefing is part of a long-term strategy for a GRI presence in South Africa. Information about participation in the briefing will be posted on the GRI events web page.

HIV/AIDS Project Update

Attendees at a GRI-hosted HIV/AIDS workshop in Johannesburg on 28 May took significant initial steps in the development of an HIV/AIDS disclosure framework that will be adapted to GRI’s core Guidelines, sector supplements, and technical protocols. A core working group of about a dozen individuals from diverse stakeholder backgrounds has been formed and will be chaired by Dr. Fazel Randera, Health Advisor to the Chamber of Mines of South Africa. The working group has laid out a rigorous work schedule and aims to release a first draft of a reporting framework on HIV/AIDS performance by the end of the year. Contact Alyson Slater (slater@globalreporting.org) at the GRI Secretariat for more information.

Still Time to Register for Asian Regional Conference

Delegates from across Asia will meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during 16-19 July to participate in a conference focussed on the current and future status of GRI in Asia. An exciting line-up of speakers and workshops are on the agenda. For more information, and to register, visit the KL conference web page.

Comment Period on Draft Protocols Extended to 1 July

The comment period on three draft protocols released in May (energy consumption, water, and child labour) has been extended to 1 July. The protocols clarify the measurement expectations for individual performance indicators in Section 4 of Part C of the 2002 Draft Guidelines. They provide definitions, methodologies, and references to guide reporters and report users. These drafts are the first step in developing protocols for all GRI indicators that need detailed guidance. Comments are invited through 1 July, with a goal of releasing revised draft protocols within a month. These, in turn, will be subject to pilot testing. These first three protocols are “beta” versions, and represent the first step in the longer process of testing, review, and revision. View Protocols.

Progress on Guidelines Revisions

Thanks to all members of the GRI network who submitted comments on the draft 2002 Guidelines. Public comments from approximately 80 parties amounted to more than 300 pages for the Revisions Working Group to analyse when it met in Amsterdam on 3-5 June. A new draft of the Guidelines will be submitted to the GRI Board of Directors at its meeting on 20-21 June. The final 2002 Guidelines will be released once Board approval is obtained.

More Organisations Release Sustainability Reports

We have been informed that the following organisations have prepared reports using the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

* Atlas Copco (Sweden)
* ICI (UK)
* Isuzu Motors Limited (Japan)
* Telecom Italia (Italy)