GRI Introduces ‘Fast Track’ for Sustainability Reports

The Global Reporting Initiative is introducing a new feature — fast track — to give reporting organizations the option to accelerate the review of their draft reports.

GRI is fast approaching the busiest time of year, with sustainability reporting deadlines drawing closer. During these peak times, GRI’s Report Services Team processes a large volume of draft reports that have been submitted for either the Content Index, Materiality Disclosures, or Application Level Services. The Term and Conditions of these service lay out a specific amount of time within which GRI will review the draft report and issue findings to the reporting organization.

Organizations usually apply for the GRI services at the final stages of their reporting process. To help meet organizations’ deadlines and publish reports on time, the fast track will give reporting organizations the option to expedite the review of their draft reports. For an additional fee GRI will provide its feedback in half the amount of time normally reserved for this.

The fast track fee will be introduced for the Alignment services only. For an additional fee of 850 EUR ($923) for the Content Index Service, 750 EUR ($814) for the Materiality Disclosures Service and Application Level Service, reporting organizations can opt for GRI’s expedited service. GRI will then review the draft report and issue findings to the reporting organization in half the amount of time. The methodology and outcome of the services will remain unchanged.

Last week GRI and investment firm RobecoSAM published a guide that explores materiality from a sustainability reporter’s perspective, as expounded in GRI reports, and compares this with the investor perspective of materiality, as formulated by RobecoSAM.