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GRI, UNGC Release 'Practical Guide' for Companies to Report Their Impact on the SDGs

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) have released “A Practical Guide” to enable companies to better measure and report on their impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new publication, Integrating the SDGs Into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide, helps companies of all sizes to prioritize SDG targets to act and report on, set related business objectives, and measure and report on progress.

By Sustainable Brands | Published 6 years ago | About a 3 minute read

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) have released “A Practical Guide” to enable companies to better measure and report on their impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The new publication, Integrating the SDGs Into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide, helps companies of all sizes to prioritize SDG targets to act and report on, set related business objectives, and measure and report on progress.

“Effective corporate reporting is key to building trust and aligning investment through transparency and accountability. This guide helps businesses move beyond the current trend of simply mapping activities and programs against the SDGs to driving change,” says Tim Mohin, Chief Executive at GRI.

Developed with support from Shift and PwC — and as part of the Action Platform on Reporting on the SDGs — this new Practical Guide completes a toolkit that aims to boost and improve businesses’ reporting on the Goals and their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

The guide does not create a new reporting framework but builds on the UNGC’s Ten Principles, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards. It discourages businesses from selecting SDGs and related targets based on what is easiest for them to report on. Rather, companies should focus on what accounts for the highest priorities and, therefore, is material for their business. The report calls for companies to report on both their positive and negative impacts on the SDGs.

Says Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UNGC: “By reporting on actions, contributions and impact towards the Sustainable Development Goals, businesses can address the information needs of governments, investors, and other stakeholders and enhance their accountability to society.”