gssbsecretariat@globalreporting.org

GSSB summary of the virtual meeting
held on 24 January 2023
Approved by the GSSB on 16 February 2023
1

© GRI 2023

2

ContentsParticipants.............................................................................................................................................. 3
List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 3
Decisions and action items ..................................................................................................................... 4
Session 1: Welcome ............................................................................................................................... 4
Session 2: Update Standards Division .................................................................................................... 4
Session 3: Approval of GRI Sector Standard Project for Mining – Exposure draft ................................. 5
Session 4: Close of public meeting ......................................................................................................... 6

Page 2 of 6

3

Participants

4

Present:567NameConstituency

Judy Kuszewski

Chair

Robyn Leeson

Vice-Chair

Loredana CartaLaborPeter Colley

Labor

Giulia Genuardi

Business enterprise

Vincent Kong

Business enterprise

Joseph Martin

Business enterprise

Anna Nefedova

Mediating institution

Corli le RouxMediating institution

Gangaa Charan Sharma (joined at 13.25)

Business enterprise

Kim Schumacher (joined at 13.30)

Civil society organization

Kenton Swift

Civil society organization

Michel Washer

Business enterprise

Apologies:
Name

Constituency

Evan Harvey

Investment institution

Jennifer Princing

Business enterprise

In attendance from GRI:
NamePosition

Bastian Buck

Chief of StandardsNoora Puro

Manager Sector Program

Gillian Balaban

Sr. Coordinator Governance Relations

List of abbreviations
Abbreviation

Full name

GRI

Global Reporting InitiativeGSSB

Global Sustainability Standards Board

SDStandards Division

WG

Working group

TC

Technical committee

PCP

Public comment period

AG

Advisory group

Page 3 of 6

8Decisions and action items

9The GSSB resolved to approve the following:
GSSB Decision

Item number

2023.01

01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 15 December 2022

2023.02

02 – GRI Sector Standard for Mining – Exposure draft

2023.03

03 – GRI Sector Standard for Mining Exposure draft Questionnaire

10

Session 1: Welcome

11

The Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) Chair Judy Kuszewski (henceforth the Chair)

12

welcomed the GSSB. The Chair presented an overview of the meeting agenda. A quorum was13

established, and the above items were presented to the GSSB for approval.

14

Session 2: Update Standards Division

15

Chief of Standards, Bastian Buck, provided the following update:

Points to consider

Action974,542 downloads of GRI Standards in 2022, up 45% from 2021.

N/AGSSB Work program PCP ongoing, deadline 17 February.

GSSB approval end ofMarch.

Textiles and Apparel project has an open call for WG applicants inFebruary. The project starts in June, and the first WG meeting is in July.

Biodiversity will consolidate feedback after PCP ends in February.
Promotional webinars, events, articles, and press releases continue.

Textiles and Apparelproject team –Alexandra de Freitas
Financial services
project team – Claire
Dugan
Biodiversity project
team – Elodie Chene

Labor project has its third TC meeting in February. 10 AG experts areapproved, recruiting two AG experts from LATAM and Africa regions.

Labor project team –Izzy Ensor

Climate project to submit the final proposal in February. The approval of TCmembers list is in April, and the first TC meeting is in June.

Climate project team –Margherita Barbieri

Economic impacts project is ready to start. The draft proposal is forapproval in March/April. It will consider GRI 201, 202, and 203 disclosures.

Economic impacts
project team –Matthew Dunn
Translations team –Alan Broad

Financial services to provide TC members list for approval in March/April.
The project starts in April, and the first TC meeting is in May.

Translations of 2021 Universal Standards update and GRI 11 into 10
languages completed by end of January; GRI 12 and GRI 13 translations
by end of March.
16

Page 4 of 6

17

The GSSB raised the following question:

GSSB question/concern

SD response

ActionWhy are most downloads from theGRI website? Social media channels
seem to have less impact.

SD acknowledges that GRI social
media is not optimal.

SD will invite theCommunications
team to discuss
this issue at thenext GSSB
meeting.

20Session 3: Approval of GRI Sector
Standard Project for Mining –Exposure draft

21Noora Puro, Manager Sector Program, presented the following points for consideration:

1819Points to consider

ActionThe project aims to identify and describe 25 likely material topics andrelevant disclosures for reporting for the mining sector.
New topics to the GRI system based on WG feedback include
Artisanal and small-scale mining, Conflict-affected and high-risk areas,and Tailings.
The draft has undergone an additional peer review as well as technicaland editorial reviews by the Standards Editorial and Publishing team.
In response to feedback from WG and external stakeholders, SD
proposes to capitalize the term ‘Indigenous Peoples’ in the exposure
draft.
Public consultation of the exposure draft will take place between 7
February – 30 April, including global webinars and regional events toengage external stakeholders.

Project teamProject teamProject team, SE&P
SD, SE&P,Communications
SD, Communications,Regional Hubs

2223

The GSSB raised the following questions:

GSSB question/concern

SD response

ActionGSSB member asked about therationale for taking out carbon dioxideand methane in the topic statement
for GHG emissions.
GSSB member noted that the sector
profile did not adequately cover thenegative impacts of the mining
sector, although this was covered in
topic descriptions. Moreover, minesite reporting is a positive evolution insustainability reporting.

The two examples are seen as
limiting for the mining sector, and WG
feedback proposed broadening thescope.
The sector profile was an example ofconsensus building with the WG. We
welcome specific inputs on the sector
profile.

Project teamProject team

24

Page 5 of 6

25

The GSSB approves the following exposure draft and questionnaire:
GSSB Decision

Item number

2023.02

02 – GRI Sector Standard for Mining – Exposure draft

2023.03

03 – GRI Sector Standard for Mining Exposure draft Questionnaire

2627

Session 4: Close of public meeting28

No other business was raised, and the Chair closed the public meeting at 14.06 Central European

29

Time (CET).

Page 6 of 6