Barbara Strozzilaan 336
1083 HN Amsterdam
The Netherlands
gssbsecretariat@globalreporting.org

Item 02 – Draft summary of the GSSB
meeting held on 23 September 2021
For GSSB approval
Date

7 October 2021

Meeting

21 October 2021

Description

This document presents the summary of the GSSB virtual meeting held on 23
September 2021.

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 2021

1ContentsParticipants.............................................................................................................................................. 3
List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 3
Decisions and action items ..................................................................................................................... 4
Session 1: Welcome and Approval of Item 1 .......................................................................................... 4
Session 2: Update from Standards Division ........................................................................................... 4
Session 3: Approval project proposal for GRI Topic Standard project for biodiversity ........................... 5
Session 4: Any other business and close of meeting ............................................................................. 7

Page 2 of 7

2Participants

3Present:

456

Name

Constituency

Judy Kuszewski

Chair

Robyn Leeson

Vice-ChairPeter Colley

Labor

Giulia Genuardi

Business enterprise

Evan Harvey

Investment institution

Joseph Martin

Business enterpriseJennifer Princing

Business enterprise

Corli le RouxMediating institution

Gustavo SinnerMediating institution

Kenton Swift

Civil society organization

Michel Washer

Business enterprise

Apologies:
Name

Constituency

Loredana CartaLabor

Vincent Kong

Business enterpriseRama Krishnan Venkateswaran

Investment institutionKim Schumacher

Civil society organization

In attendance from GRI:NamePosition

Bastian Buck

Chief of Standards

Elodie ChêneManager

List of abbreviations
GRIGSSBSD

Global Reporting Initiative
Global Sustainability Standards Board
Standards Division

Page 3 of 7

7Decisions and action items

8Decisions

9GSSB Decision 2021.21 The GSSB resolved to approve Item 02 – GRI Topic Standard Project for

10

Biodiversity – Final Project Proposal.

11Session 1: Welcome

12

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

13

welcomed the GSSB and presented an overview of the meeting agenda.

14The GSSB was presented with Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 17 June for15

approval.

16

Approval has been postponed until the next GSSB meeting, as there were insufficient members to17

reach a quorum.

18

Session 2: Update from Standards

19

Division

20

The GSSB was presented with the launch schedule for Universal Standards and GRI 11: Oil and Gas

21

Sector 2021. The Chief of Standards Bastian Buck highlighted the following points:

22•Universal Standards will be launched on 5 October 2021. The event includes a social media

23

campaign and collateral development, including all supporting documents and culminating in24

the launch event hosting key speakers.

25

•

26
27

later in October.
•28
29

The GRI 11: Oil and Gas Sector 2021 will be promoted in the weeks preceding the launch

A technical briefing session for Universal Standards and GRI 11: Oil and Gas Sector 2021 will
occur later in October.

•Universal Standards and GRI 11: Oil and Gas Sector 2021 will be translated into ten

30languages, accompanied by regional events hosted by GRI to introduce the contents.

31

Spanish will be the first language launched in January 2021.

32
33•The complete set of GRI Standards will be available on the GRI website in a new format aspart of an updated publishing system designed to streamline the publishing process.

34

Page 4 of 7

35

Two sector projects, namely, agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing, and coal, are also nearing

36

completion. The following points regarding their progress were raised:

37

•38
39

Regional participation was leveraged, and public comment has been received on the twosector projects' exposure drafts.

•53 Substantive public comment submissions were received for agriculture, aquaculture, and40

fishing project. The outcome of the public comment phase is successful in terms of providing

41

input to complete the project.

42

•

43
44

constructive feedback that enhances the overall Sector Standard.
•45
46

•

In the coal Sector Standard project, there was coverage of GRI in various media publications
regarding the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft.

•49
50

The Sector Standard project for agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing will follow a timeline
culminating with a draft presentation to the GSSB in March-April 2022.

47
48

Public comment for agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing sector project has provided

29 Substantive public comment submissions were received for the coal Sector Standardproject.

•The Sector Standard project for coal has advanced due to its close tie with the GRI 11: Oil

51

and Gas Sector 2021. It will follow a timeline culminating with a draft presentation to the52

GSSB in January-February 2022.

53

The upcoming Sector Standard project for mining posted a call to assemble a working group and has54

received 30 applications to date. Applications close on 26 September 2021. Applicants will be

55

evaluated regarding their suitability to contribute to the working group. An update will be provided in56

the following GSSB meeting regarding this point.

57

Session 3: Approval project proposal

58

for GRI Topic Standard project for59

biodiversity

60

Elodie Chêne presented the final project proposal for approval to the GSSB Item 02 – GRI Topic

61

Standard project for biodiversity. The following points regarding the project were raised:

62•The proposed timeline reflects the expectation to revise the standard in 12 months.

63•

After approval, a proposed list of technical committee members will be made available for

64
65

GSSB approval at the next meeting in October.
•There are continued talks with experts and outreach activities in the coming weeks to confirm

66

the membership for GSSB consideration. The aim is to convene the technical committee

67

before the end of the year.

Page 5 of 7

68

•

69
70

An exposure draft is anticipated to be submitted to the GSSB in March 2022. Public
consultation to follow in the period April-May 2022.

•Public consultation will coincide with the CBD COP, where the Post-2020 Biodiversity

71

Framework is to be adopted. The intention is to align the final content of the standard with the72

goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

73

•74

The time frame also aligns with CDPs initiative to develop biodiversity reporting metrics andEFRAGs process to develop the biodiversity standard.

75

The Chief of Standards added the following considerations concerning the biodiversity project and76

other work carried out by related organizations:

77•Various organizations have projects underway or have initiated projects at about the same78

time frame as the GRI Topic Standard project for biodiversity. However, it is important to note79

that there are differences in approach regarding the various initiatives.

80•The Development of the EU standards under the mandate of the European Commission that81

was given to EFRAG has precipitated discussions on how to incorporate these interests to82

develop GRI Standards.

83
84

•

Aligning the project with EU and CDP initiatives is key to harmonizing the process tocontribute to the project's overall consolidation.

85

Vote on final approval

86

The Chair called for an electronic vote to approve the final project proposal for the GRI Topic87Standard project for biodiversity.

88

Table 1. GSSB summary of votes on approval of GRI Topic Standard project for biodiversity.
GSSB member

VoteCorli le Roux

In favor

Evan Harvey

In favor

Giulia Genuardi

In favor

Gustavo Sinner

In favor

Jennifer Princing

In favor

Joseph Martin

In favor

Judy Kuszewski

In favor

Kent Swift

In favor

Kim Schumacher–*

Page 6 of 7

Loredana Carta–*

Michel Washer

In favorPeter Colley

In favor

Rama Krishnan
Venkateswaran–*Robyn Leeson

In favor

Vincent Kong

In favor* GSSB member absent for the vote.

89

Session 4: Any other business and90

close of the meeting

91

The Chair updated the GSSB regarding a formal request from UNICEF and supporting co-signatories

92

urging the GSSB to consider addressing children's rights in forthcoming standards projects. As the93

next phase of human rights work is underway, the timing of this request is apt to incorporate it into a94

forthcoming agenda.

95

No other business was raised, and the Chair closed the public meeting at 15.00 Central European

96

Summer Time (CEST).

Page 7 of 7