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

Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB
meeting held on 21 October 2021
For GSSB approval
Date

27 October 2021

Meeting

18 November 2021

Description

This document presents the summary of the GSSB virtual meeting held on 21
October 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 ............................................................................................................................... 4
Session 2: GRI Sector Program update .................................................................................................. 4
Session 3: GRI Topic Standard project for biodiversity .......................................................................... 6
Session 4: Any other business and close of meeting………………………………………………………..6Page 2 of 6

2Participants

3Present:

456

Name

Constituency

Judy Kuszewski

Chair

Robyn Leeson

Vice-Chair

Loredana Carta

LaborPeter Colley

Labor

Giulia Genuardi

Business enterprise

Joseph Martin

Business enterpriseJennifer Princing

Business enterprise

Corli le RouxMediating institution

Gustavo Sinner (joined at 13.15)

Mediating institution

Kenton Swift

Civil society organization

Michel Washer

Business enterprise

Apologies:
Name

Constituency

Evan Harvey

Investment institution

Vincent Kong

Business enterprise

Kim Schumacher

Civil society organization

Rama Krishnan Venkateswaran

Investment institution

In attendance from GRI:
NamePosition

Bastian Buck

Chief of Standards

Elodie ChêneManager

Miguel Perez Ludena

Research Lead Sector Program

Gillian Balaban

Sr. Coordinator Governance Relations

List of abbreviations
GRIGSSB
SDTC

Global Reporting Initiative
Global Sustainability Standards Board
Standards Division
Technical Committee

Page 3 of 6

7Decisions and action items

8Decisions

9As there were insufficient members present to reach a quorum, approval was done by electronic

10voting. The GSSB resolved to approve the following:

11GSSB Decision 2021.20 Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 17 June

12GSSB Decision 2021.22 Item 02 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 23 September 2021

13GSSB Decision 2021.23 Item 03 - GRI Sector Standards project for food – draft project proposal

14GSSB Decision 2021.24 Item 04 - GRI Sector Standards project for textiles and apparel – draft

15

project proposal

16GSSB Decision 2021.25 Item 05 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 1 July 2021

17Session 1: Welcome

18The Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) Chair Judy Kuszewski (henceforth the Chair)19

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

20

with the following items:

21

Item 01 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 17 June

22

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

23

Item 03 - GRI Sector Standards project for food – draft project proposal

24

Item 04 - GRI Sector Standards project for textiles and apparel – draft project proposal

25

Item 05 – Draft summary of the GSSB meeting held on 1 July 2021

26

Item 06 - GRI Topic Standard Project for Biodiversity - Proposed members for the technical committee

27

Item 07 - GRI Topic Standards Project for Biodiversity - Technical committee terms of reference

28

Session 2: GRI Sector Program

29

update30

The GSSB was presented with two project proposals for Sector Standards, namely: GRI Sector

31Standard for food and GRI Sector Standard for textiles and apparel. Miguel Perez Ludena raised the32

following points regarding the GRI Sector Standard for food:Page 4 of 6

33

•

34
35

with the Sector Standard for agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing.
•36
37

The scope of this sector covers manufacturing and retail activities. It excludes primary
producers, which the Sector Standard for agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing covers.

•38
39

The Sector Standard for food was prioritized based on its sustainability impacts and synergies

Restaurants will not be included in the scope of this sector project proposal. A separate
Sector Standard for restaurants will be developed at a later stage.

•Retailers are recommended to be in the scope of this sector. The rationale is that food40

retailers like supermarkets already report on many food-specific sustainability impacts. These41

impacts can include food waste, food safety, and animal health and welfare.

42•Tobacco and alcoholic beverages are proposed to be included in the scope of this sector. The

43

rationale is that they are part of the same industrial structure and share similar sustainability

44

impacts. However, there may be different perceptions from stakeholders.

45

•

46
47
48

this sector. Stakeholder consultation could clarify the decision.
The following points explain the proposed Sector Standard project for textiles and apparel:
•49
50
51
52

53

A decision needs to be taken regarding the inclusion of tobacco and alcoholic beverages in

The scope of the project is to focus on manufacturing and retail. It includes textiles, apparel,and footwear.

•The reason for the choice in scope is the high degree of vertical integration between
manufacturing and retail, particularly in the apparel sub-sector.

Table 1. Summary of questions, comments, and recommendations by GSSB members.
Question / CommentAnswer

Recommendation

Is this only about human food?

The sector includes animalfood.

Unclear if it includes animalfood. Clarity is required.

Comment on the inclusion ofalcohol and tobacco.

N/A.

Leave open for furtherdiscussion. To be included in
the scope for now.

If restaurants and catering are
not included here, where arethey included?

There is a proposed Sector
Standard project forrestaurants and catering.

Project structure to continue as
it is for now.

Regarding consultation withstakeholders related to tobaccoand alcohol, are these within
the stakeholder council and theboard, or are different
consultations taking place?

Consultation with stakeholder
council and the board will takeplace. Given the topic,
consultation may have to bebroader; external consultation
will be required at this stage.

A decision based on astandard setting perspective
will need to be made. A list of
key stakeholders will have to
be consulted for this matter.

A high level of vertical
integration, is it about brandnames?

The apparel sector has a highlevel of outsourcing. Brands
control the design andmarketing of their products.

It is recommended to include
retail in the scope of thetextiles and apparel sector.

No further questions were raised regarding the proposed sector projects.

Page 5 of 6

54

A short update regarding the mining sector project concluded the presentation. The following points

55

explain the update:

56•

The process to interview potential members of the working group is underway.

57•Many applications were received, and the quality of the applicants was generally high.

58•The proposed members' list will be finalized by mid-November. This list will be discussed and59

approved by GSSB in early December.

60

Session 3: GRI Topic Standard

61

project for biodiversity

62

Elodie Chêne presented the GSSB with the project update of the revision of GRI 304: Biodiversity

63

2016. The following points were highlighted:

64

•

65
66

potential candidates to assess their skills and availability.
•67
68
69

An interim TC composition was presented. However, discussions are still underway withMore candidates for the TC need to be considered to ensure a balance between views andexpertise. This is the reason why more time is required to identify potential members.

•SD will provide the final nominations to the GSSB once the selection is completed. GSSB will
vote electronically within a week to finalize the TC composition.

70A GSSB member asked if the TC were to provide recommendations to existing Sector Standards or71

those still being drafted. The response was that the TC would look at possibly three Sector Standards

72

already published and whose content may be outdated based on the content of the new biodiversity

73

Standard.

74

Session 4: Any other business and75

close of the meeting76

No other business was raised, and the Chair closed the public meeting at 14.41 Central European

77

Summer Time (CEST).

Page 6 of 6