gssbsecretariat@globalreporting.org

Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB
meeting held on 16 January 2024
For GSSB approval
Date

16 January 2024

Meeting22 February 2024

Description

This document presents the summary of the GSSB virtual meeting held on 16January 2024.

This document has been prepared by the GRI Standards Division and is made available to observers
at meetings of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB). It does not represent an official
position of the GSSB. Board positions are set out in the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards. TheGSSB is the independent standard setting body of GRI. For more information visit
www.globalreporting.org.

© GRI 2024

Contents
Participants.............................................................................................................................................. 3
List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 3
Decisions and action items ..................................................................................................................... 4
Session 1: Welcome to meeting / Introduction to new members ............................................................ 4
Session 2: GRI Topic Standard Project for Economic Impact – Proposed members for WG ............... 4
Session 3: GRI Topic Standard Project for Pollution .............................................................................. 5
Session 4: Any other business and close of public sessions .................................................................. 5Page 2 of 51Participants

2Present:

345

Name

Constituency

Carol Adams

Chair

Jeff Robertson

Vice-Chair

Loredana Carta

LaborPeter Colley

Labor

Rebecca Coriat

Investment association

Chulendra De SilvaMediating institution

Corli le RouxMediating institution

Tomoo Machiba

Mediating institution

Anna Nefedova

Mediating institution

Deborah Ng

Investment Institution

Jennifer Princing

Business enterprise

Gangaa Charan SharmaBusiness enterprise

Galya Tsonkova

Business enterprise

Apologies:
Name

Constituency

Giulia Genuardi

Business enterprise

Igazeuma Okoroba

Business enterprise

In attendance from GRI:
NamePosition

Bastian Buck

Chief of Standards

Harold Pauwels

Director, Standards

Matthew Dunn

Manager, Standards

Thamar Zijlstra

Sr. Manager, Standards

Gillian Balaban

Sr. Coordinator Governance Relations

List of abbreviations
Abbreviation

Full name

GRI

Global Reporting Initiative

GSSB

Global Sustainability Standards BoardSDStandards Division

WG

Working group

TC

Technical committee

Page 3 of 5

6Decisions and action items

7

The GSSB resolved to approve the following:
GSSB Decision

Item number

2024.101 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Economic Impact – Proposed members for
Working Group
02 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Pollution – Draft project proposal

2024.2

9Session 1: Welcome to meeting /Introduction to new members

10The Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) Chair Carol Adams (henceforth the Chair)

11

welcomed the GSSB. The Chair presented an overview of the meeting agenda. A quorum was

12established, and the above item was presented to the GSSB for approval.

13

The Chair welcomed the new members of the GSSB – Loredana Carta, Rebecca Coriat, Giulia

14

Genuardi, and Igazeuma Okoroba.

818

Session 2: GRI Topic Standard
Project for Economic Impact –Proposed members for WorkingGroup19

Matthew Dunn, Manager Standards, provided an update on the GRI Topic Standard Project for

20

Economic Impact and presented the proposed members of its working group (WG) for GSSB

21approval.

22

The SD clarified the following points about the project in response to GSSB questions and comments:

15
16
17

23

•

The project categorized WG candidates according to GRI-predefined stakeholder categories.

24•The submission of the candidate for the investment institution category was based on a25
26

recommendation from the GRI Supervisory Board.
•27
28
29

Some organizations are not located in the Global South, but candidates from theseorganizations are either based in or originate from the Global South.

•The SD said it will reevaluate descriptions of WG members categorized as civil societyorganizations.

Page 4 of 5

30

•

31

GRI reaffirmed their commitment to appointing labor representatives to WGs or technicalcommittees based on nominations from the Council of Global Unions.

32•

If a need emerges, more WG members may be proposed during the project.

33•

Subgroup progress will be discussed at WG meetings, where any outstanding issues can be34
353637addressed.
•The role of the GSSB sponsor was clarified as someone with relevant expertise acting as aconsistent link between the GSSB and the team developing a respective Standard.

The GSSB approves the following:

GSSB Decision

Item number

2024.01

01 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Economic Impact – Proposed members forWorking Group

39

Session 3: GRI Topic Standard
Project for Pollution

40

Thamar Zijlstra, Senior Manager Standards, presented the draft project proposal for the GRI Topic

41

Standard Project for Pollution.

42

The GSSB had several questions about how the Standard will categorize different pollutants, and the43

SD explained that this will become clearer following the scoping survey.

44

The GSSB also asked about the relevance of including critical incident management in a future Topic

45

Standard for Pollution. The SD explained that the project will examine pollution related issues from46

critical incidents, such as a significant spill, following a recommendation from the GRI Sector

47Standard for Oil and Gas. The GRI Topic Standard Project for Pollution will explore this further during48

the scoping phase and then determine how best to integrate it into the Standard.

49

The GSSB approves the following:

38

GSSB Decision

Item number

2024.202 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Pollution – Draft project proposal

51

Session 4: Any other business andclose of public sessions

52

No other business was raised and the Chair closed the public meeting at 13.25 Central European

53

Time (CET).

50

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