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

GSSB summary of the virtual meeting heldon 15 September 2020
Approved by the GSSB on 22 October 2020

© GRI 2020

1Contents

2Participants ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3

List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................... 3

4Decisions and action items ....................................................................................................................................... 4

5Session 1–3: Private sessions ................................................................................................................................... 4

6Session 4: Welcome ................................................................................................................................................... 4

7Session 5: Standards Division update ..................................................................................................................... 5

8Session 6: GSSB Work Program 2020–2022 ....................................................................................................... 5

9Session 7: Any other business and close of meeting .......................................................................................... 6

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10Participants

11

Present:

1213Name

Constituency

Judy Kuszewski
Robyn Leeson
Loredana Carta
Peter Colley
Evan Harvey
Kirsten Margrethe Hovi
Vincent Kong
Joseph Martin
Tung-Li (Tony) Mo
Jennifer Princing
Corli le Roux
Gustavo Sinner
Kenton Swift
Rama Krishnan Venkateswaran
Michel Washer

Chair
Vice-Chair
Labor
Labor
Investment institution
Business enterpriseBusiness enterprise (left meeting at 14:00)
Business enterprise
Civil society organization
Business enterpriseMediating institution
Mediating institution
Civil society organizationInvestment institution
Business enterprise

In attendance:
NamePosition

Bastian Buck
Laura Espinach
Gillian Balaban

Chief of Standards, Standards Division
Head of Technical Development, Standards Division
Team Assistant, Standards Division

List of abbreviations
GSSBSD

Global Sustainability Standards Board
Standards Division

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14Decisions and action items

15Decisions

1617GSSB Decision 2020.17 The GSSB resolved to approve Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB
meeting held on 18 June 2020.

1819GSB Decision 2020.18 The GSSB resolved to approve Item 03 – GRI Topic Standards Project for
Human Rights – Proposed member for technical committee.

20

Action items
Standards Division
Session 5•

SD to provide a timeline for the coal and the agriculture andfishing projects at the next GSSB meeting.

Session 6•

SD to consolidate the feedback received and finalize the GSSBWork Program 2020-2022 for GSSB approval at its next meeting
22 October 2020.
SD to establish a list of sector priorities for 2021 by the end of2020.

•21Session 1–3: Private sessions

22

These were private sessions.

23Session 4: Welcome

24
25

The GSSB was presented with Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 18 June 2020
for approval.

2627

GSSB Chair Judy Kuszewski (henceforth the Chair) welcomed the GSSB to the meeting, extended awelcome to new GSSB member Joseph Martin, and presented an overview of the meeting agenda.

2829

GSSB Decision 2020.17 The GSSB resolved to approve Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSBmeeting held on 18 June 2020.

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30

Session 5: Standards Division update

3132
33

The Standards Division (SD) presented an update of its activities regarding ongoing projects,including a brief overview of the numbers and types of responses received for the draft UniversalStandards, and progress on the public comment period for the draft Oil and Gas Sector Standard.

34
35

The SD requested GSSB members to encourage stakeholders to make contributions to the draft Oil

36
37
38

The SD presented the GSSB with statistics of Standards downloads till August 2020, highlighting thesignificant growth observed year on year and a trend for continued interest during the summer
months.

39

Approval of proposed member for Human Rights Technical Committee

40
41

The GSSB was presented with Item 03 – GRI Topic Standards Project for Human Rights – Proposedmember for technical committee for approval.

4243

The Chair called for comments or questions regarding the proposal. No comments or concerns
were raised. The GSSB approved the proposed member by consensus.

44
45

GSB Decision 2020.18 The GSSB resolved to approve Item 03 – GRI Topic Standards Project for
Human Rights – Proposed member for technical committee.

46

Actions:

4748•

and Gas Sector Standard.

SD to provide a timeline for the coal and the agriculture and fishing projects at the next
GSSB meeting.

Session 6: GSSB Work Program 2020–502022
4951

Overview of public comment submissions

5253

The SD presented the GSSB with an overview of public comments received on the draft GSSBWork Program 2020-2022.

5455

GSSB response to public comment overview

5657
58

One GSSB member commented on the range of new ideas offered by the feedback but pointed to a
current lack of budget to implement them. The member further commented that data ethics andprivacy were a major issue for a range of businesses and required consideration.

5960
61
62

Another GSSB member requested information on the approach being used to respond to thediverse range of feedback. The SD explained that it has responded to the receipt of all feedback andcommunicated to stakeholders that the GSSB will take the comments into consideration as part ofits work program. Individual stakeholders were contacted on a case-by-case basis depending on thePage 5 of 6

6364

relevance of their feedback to ongoing or future projects. There is no plan for public response to all
feedback, but this can be done if the GSSB requests it.

65666768

The Chair added that though there is no formally set threshold for the GSSB response, the GSSB isaware of the need to make clear to the Due Process Oversight Committee that it has taken publiccomments into consideration when making decisions regarding project prioritization in its workprogram.

6970
71
72
73

A GSSB member commented that there should be clear communication to stakeholders on how
sectors were prioritized in the Sector Program. The Chair suggested revisiting the basis for theexisting sector prioritization and presenting a robust rationale that can be communicated tostakeholders. The SD is currently looking at how to scale up the Sector Program and identifying
priorities and will take the GSSB as well as public comments on board.

74757677
78

The SD presented the next steps for consolidating the feedback received and finalizing the GSSBWork Program 2020-2022 for GSSB approval. The work program will include a prioritization ofprojects for 2021 based on financial realities, as well as set out a sequence by which to take on
projects should more budget become available. The SD will establish a plan for scaling up the Sector
Program together with a list of sector priorities before the end of the year.

79Actions:

80
8182

••

SD to consolidate the feedback received and finalize the GSSB Work Program 2020-2022
for GSSB approval at its next meeting 22 October 2020.
SD to establish a list of sector priorities for 2021 by the end of 2020.

Session 7: Any other business and close of84
meeting
83

85
86

No other business was raised and the Chair closed the meeting at 14:38 CEST (Central EuropeanSummer Time).

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