gssbsecretariat@globalreporting.org

Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB
meeting held on 15 December 2022
For GSSB approval
Date

10 January 2023

Meeting24 January 2023

Description

This document presents the summary of the GSSB virtual meeting held on 15
December 2022.

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. The
GSSB is the independent standard setting body of GRI. For more information visit
www.globalreporting.org.

© GRI 2023

1

Contents
Participants ........................................................................................................................................ 3
List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 3
Decisions and action items ..................................................................................................................... 4
Session 1: Welcome ............................................................................................................................... 4
Session 2: Update Standards Division .................................................................................................... 4
Session 3: Draft project proposal for the review of climate-related Standards ....................................... 5
Session 4: Update on revision of labor-related Standards ..................................................................... 6
Session 5: Close of public meeting ......................................................................................................... 6

Page 2 of 62Participants

3Present:

456

Name

Constituency

Judy Kuszewski

Chair

Loredana Carta

LaborPeter Colley

Labor

Giulia Genuardi

Business enterprise

Evan Harvey

Investment institution

Vincent Kong

Business enterprise

Joseph Martin

Business enterprise

Anna Nefedova

Mediating institution

Jennifer Princing

Business enterprise

Corli le RouxMediating institution

Gangaa Charan SharmaBusiness enterprise

Kim Schumacher

Civil society organization

Kenton Swift

Civil society organization

Michel Washer

Business enterprise

Apologies:
Name

Constituency

Robyn Leeson

Vice-Chair

In attendance from GRI:
NamePosition

Bastian Buck

Chief of StandardsMargherita Barbieri

Manager Standards

Gillian Balaban

Sr. Coordinator Governance Relations

Izzy Ensor

Manager Standards

List of abbreviations
GRIGSSB
SDWGTCPCP

Global Reporting Initiative
Global Sustainability Standards BoardStandards Division
Working group
Technical committee
Public comment period

Page 3 of 6

7Decisions and action items

8Decisions

9The GSSB resolved to approve the following:

10GSSB Decision 2022.24 Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 18-19 October 2022

11GSSB Decision 2022.25 Item 02 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 17 November 2022

12GSSB Decision 2022.26 Item 03 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Climate - Draft Project proposal

13GSSB Decision 2022.27 Item 04 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Labor - Proposed members

1415Session 1: Welcome

16

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

17

welcomed the GSSB. The Chair presented an overview of the meeting agenda. A quorum was18

established with the following items being presented and approved:

19

Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 18-19 October 2022

20

Item 02 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 17 November 2022

21

22

Session 2: Update Standards Division23

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

24

•

25
26

global webinars for the PCP of the Biodiversity Topic Standard.
•27
28

GRI is currently represented at the COP Biodiversity Summit in Canada and has conducted two

Public consultation of the GSSB work program and the call for nominations for the GSSB areongoing.

•The SD continues to grow, with 10-15 new job postings expected by Q3 of 2023.

Page 4 of 629

Session 3: Draft project proposal for30

the revision of climate-related

31Standards

32

Margherita Barbieri, Manager Standards, presented the project proposal for the GRI Topic Standard

33

Project for Climate:

34

•

35
36

This project aims to revise the climate-related GRI Topic Standards and align the Standards withauthoritative intergovernmental instruments.

•The project will not be limited to reviewing the current contents of existing GRI climate-related37

disclosures. It will incorporate new issues to reflect the stakeholders expectations related to38

climate reporting such as climate resilience, adaption, broad responsibility for climate change,

39

setting emissions targets, investment in emissions-intensive activities, climate change-related

40

lobbying, and consideration of just transition.

41

•

42
43

an impact materiality perspective.
•

44
45

GRI will seek to develop the climate-related Topic Standards to reach maximum alignment andensure interoperability with the climate-related standards of the ISSB and EFRAG.

•46
47

The Standards Division will further research on these new issues and GRI will address them fromGRI requested GSSB members to volunteer as sponsors of this project, which can be addressedoutside of the public meeting.

•GSSB asked whether the financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate

48

change were within the project's scope. SD added that reviewing GRI 201: Economic49

Performance 2016 (Disclosure 201-2) on financial implications is part of the project's scope. This50

disclosure will be reviewed to ensure complementarity and alignment with other standards, in51

particular the standards of the IFRS-ISSB. A decision still needs to be made on whether this52

content will be included in the GRI Standards. This will be brought for discussion with the GSSB

53

during the first half of 2023.

54

Item 03 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Climate – Draft Project Proposal is approved by the GSSB.

55
56

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Session 4: Update on revision of58

labor-related Standards

59

Izzy Ensor, Manager Standards, presented the following update on the revision of labor-related

60Standards:

61•The goal of the advisory group (AG) is to provide support for the TC.

62•The application process for the AG, from 17 September to 17 October 2022, received over 270

63
64

applicants and resulted in 13 shortlisted applicants for interviews.
•65
66

Most applications for the AG came from North America, Europe, and Asia-Oceania, andapproximately 75% of applicants represented the Business Enterprises constituency.

•The criteria for selection in the AG include knowledge of key subject areas: human rights within67

the labor context; understanding of sustainability reporting; experience with multi-stakeholder

68

initiatives; and working knowledge of English.

69

•

70
71

The proposed AG includes 10 candidates of diverse backgrounds and experiences, but theproject team is still soliciting applications from the regions of Latin America/Caribbean and Africa.

•Once these profiles are fulfilled, their nominations will be submitted to the GSSB for approval.

Item 04 – GRI Topic Standard Project for Labor – Proposed Expert Members for the Advisory Group
is approved by the GSSB.
72

73

Session 5: Close of public meeting74

No other business was raised, and the Chair closed the public meeting at 14.32 Central European

75

Time (CET).

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