The draft G3 Guidelines and protocols are available for a three-month public comment period between 2 January and 31 March 31 March 2006. The draft is the result of nearly a years worth of research, development, and consensus-seeking by multi-stakeholder technical working groups, each assigned to focus on different parts of the Guidelines.
"This is such an important moment in the Guidelines development process" said GRI Chief Executive Ernst Ligteringen. "We are revealing a complete draft to the general public for the first time, and are very eager to hear reactions from any person or organization interested in helping to advance the practice of sustainability reporting. Many have become a part of the GRI network by actively contributing to the development of these Guidelines. It is this collective effort that will again enhance the Guidelines global applicability, relevance and trust."
The draft can be downloaded from www.grig3.org. Any interested party is invited to submit their comments on how the draft G3 Guidelines are shaping up via the web-based comment form available at the above link until 31 March 2006.
All comments will be taken into consideration, and a second draft will be produced by mid-year which will then be submitted to the GRIs governing bodies for approval before their final release which is slated for October 2006.
Those familiar with the GRI reporting framework will notice some key changes and highlights in the G3 draft. These changes are chiefly aimed at increasing the user-friendliness of the Guidelines, and increasing the comparability of reports. Main highlights include:
* Guidance on how to determine what issues to report on and how to select relevant
indicators
* Guidance on setting the report boundary
* Each reporting principle is accompanied by a set of self-tests to help with their
application
* New disclosure items on strategy and analysis that highlight key issues, risks,
and opportunities
* Indicator section has been restructured and now contains two main elements –
*"Disclosures on Management Approach" and "Performance Indicators"
* Each performance indicator is accompanied by a technical protocol, which contains
definitions for words used in the indicator, compilation methodologies, and other
useful resources.
Along with the draft Guidelines and Indicator Protocols, GRI has posted a series
of documents that help show the evolution of the Guidelines and main goals associated
with the process. These resources are available at www.grig3.org.
