Initiatives

Recent GRI Events

G4 Practitioners Network Workshops

On October 7 and 13 2011, GRI Focal Point Australia held two G4 Practitioner Network workshops to provide feedback on the next generation of Sustainability Reporting Guidelines – G4. The events form part of the first Public Comment Period, which is now open until 24 November 2011.

The workshops were hosted by ACCSR in Melbourne, which was the first half day G4 workshop to be held globally, and CPA Australia in Sydney. Over 20 participants from a broad range of GRI stakeholders attended including NGOs, business, universities and labor representatives. Examples of organisations who attended were; Insurance Australia Group, OneSteel, Landcom, CFMEU Mining & Energy, Qantas, KPMG, Banarra, Eco Steps, Voiceless, Businesswriters & Design, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, University of New South Wales, ACCSR, Johnson Controls, ANZ and CPA Australia.

Download the Event Summary

How to leap towards a transparent global economy?

14th June 2011 - Stockland Sydney

‘How to leap towards a transparent global economy’ was held in Sydney on 14th of June 2011 and attracted over 100 participants. Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive of GRI, as keynote, briefed participants on the latest GRI developments including G4, Integrated Reporting (IR) and the move to ‘more reporters’ and ‘better reporting’.

The Strategic Briefing was followed by an exclusive Networking Session for Organisational Stakeholders in which the local network were given the chance to meet with the Chief Executive and network with fellow GRI Organisational Stakeholders.

Thanks to Stockland for hosting the event.

Download the Event Summary

Update on GRI's Strategic Priorities

15th March 2011 - KPMG Melbourne & 16th March 2011 - PwC Sydney

An update on GRI’s strategic priorities’ hosted by Lena Geraghty, Network Manager, Global Reporting Initiative Focal Point Australia and Nikki McKean-Wood, Organizational Stakeholder Program Manager, GRI Secretariat, was held in Sydney and Melbourne on the 15th & 16th March 2011 and attracted over 120 participants. The seminar was followed by an exclusive lunch for GRI Organisational Stakeholders where key topics related to the future development of the GRI guidelines (G4) and the future success of the Focal Point in Australia were discussed.

Ms. Geraghty commented: “This was an important event for the GRI Focal Point Australia as it allows report writers and report readers to learn firsthand of the future strategic priorities of the GRI, including key updates to the Guidelines which will be launched in the coming months. It also provided our Australian Organizational Stakeholders with the opportunity to liaise with Nikki McKean-Wood, providing both parties with valuable insight into the future direction of GRI reporting, from the perspectives of Australia and the Secretariat”.

Hosts, KPMG in Melbourne and PwC in Sydney kicked off each of the seminars with an introduction to their organisations and connection to GRI and we thank them for their support.

Key Speakers included:

Lena Geraghty, Network Manager, GRI Focal Point Australia
Nikki McKean-Wood, Organizational Stakeholder Program Manager, GRI Secretariat
Ester Fulekyova, Network Coordinator, GRI Secretariat
Professor Carol Adams, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) LA TROBE University (Melbourne)
Robyn Leeson, Director, Netbalance Foundation (Melbourne)

Stella Whittaker, Senior Executive, Sustainability & Climate Change, Manidis Roberts (Sydney)

Download the Event Summary

Sustainability Reporting for SMEs

24th November 2010, Net Balance, Melbourne

Presented on 24th November 2010 at Net Balance’s Melbourne Office, this morning Workshop provided SME’s with a basic introduction to GRI and the G3 framework. Sustainability Reporting for SMEs explored current trends in reporting and demonstrated the role of GRI in assisting organisations to manage and report on their social, economic and environmental impacts.

Current GRI reporters presented case studies of their experience using the GRI reporting tool, outlining the benefits of reporting and the key lessons learnt.

Key speakers included:

Enrique Torres – Senior Manager Training & Coaching Programs of the Global Reporting Initiative;
Click here to view his presentation

Amanda Nuttall – Senior Associate of Net Balance
Click here to view her presentation

Kelvin O'Connor – Chief Operating Officer for Henry Davis York.
Click here to view his presentation

Who’d Trust the Modern Corporation?

19th October 2010, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

Who’d Trust the Modern Corporation? presented an opportunity for leading Australian figures to explore the link between trust, corporate ethics, accountability and transparency; and to refine thinking about the responsibilities of the modern corporation to investors and the wider society in which they are located.

The event, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney, commenced with addresses from Simon Longstaff, Executive Director, St James Ethics Centre; Board Member, Global Reporting Initiative; Rod Leaver, CEO, Lend Lease Australia; and William Kirkby-Jones AM, Chairman, Landcom.

The panel - which included Michael Luscombe, CEO, Woolworths Limited; Nick Rowley, Director, Kinesis & Former Climate Advisor to Tony Blair; Catherine Fox, Deputy Editor, BOSS Magazine; Sanders-Paul Tongeren, Senior Sustainability Specialist, APG Asset Management (Netherlands); and was hosted by Ros Childs, Australian Broadcasting Corporation – was conducted in a format similar to ABC’s Q&A - meaning the audience asked the questions.

The key themes raised during the discussion included:

•             Questions of trust

•             Voluntary vs. mandatory sustainability reporting

•             Rating/Benchmarking culture

•             Enlightened self-interest

•             Corporate advocacy regarding sustainability

•             Short-term vs. long-term performance

The event was attended by well over 200 sustainability executives from business, government and civil society and was hosted with the generous support of Landcom and Lend Lease.

Download the Event Summary

Download Podcast of the Event here

Construction and Real Estate Sector Supplement Workshop

20th October 2010, The Pavillion, Sydney

The GRI Construction and Real Estate Sector Supplement (CRESS) is currently being developed with the industry and its stakeholders using GRI’s characteristic multi-stakeholder approach. The guidance will highlight issues and identify performance indicators specific to the sector, for integration into the G3 Guidelines in a sector specific document.

The CRESS Working Group met in Sydney this October, providing Australian organisations with an interest in Construction and Real Estate with a unique opportunity to meet with and learn from the working group members that are currently shaping sustainability reporting for this sector.

This event provided participants with an opportunity to learn more about what is being considered for the GRI Construction & Real Estate Sector Supplement; and provided an opportunity to give direct feedback on specific issues being debated in the Supplement’s development.

Key themes raised at the event included:

•             Investor opinions of the construction and real estate sector supplement
              & reporting

•             Introducing a new aspect of reporting - ‘Design, Operations and Legacy’

•             Considering qualitative measures

•             Qualitative v quantitative social indicators

•             Reporting on Resettlement & Displacement

•             Considering the embodied energy of materials

•             Commenting on Sector Supplements

•             Analysis of companies are not using GRI & Why

Download the Event Summary

GRI Australia & UNGC Network Australia jointly host
A Conversation with John Elkington

14th October 2010, Westpac, Sydney

Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Focal Point Australia together with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Network Australia held their first joint event this month - a provocative conversation with sustainability thought leader John Elkington.

Elkington, who was once described by Business Week as "a dean of the corporate responsibility movement for three decades", focused the conversation on future trends and themes emerging globally in corporate sustainability. During the conversation he reiterated that the world is now in a “critical decade for change” where new economic and business models need to be invented and a process of creative disruption encouraged.

The Elkington event was the first collaboration of the UN Global Compact Network Australia and GRI’s Focal Point Australia, following an international agreement made earlier this year by the UNGC with GRI to align their work in advancing corporate responsibility and transparency. The Australian collaboration provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate a local response to the international agreement.

Download the Media Release

Download Podcast of the Conversation here

The Future of GRI: Exploring GRI's Key Propositions - Executive Brief

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Focal Point Australia invited delegates to reflect on the outcomes of the GRI Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency in Amsterdam.
The event focused on the two key propositions set out at the GRI Conference that will shape GRI reporting for the next ten years:
1. By 2015 it should be mandatory for all large and medium-sized companies to report their material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues or explain why they do not.
2. Standardized Integrated Reporting should be developed, tested, and commonly adopted by 2020.
Learn more about these outcomes in the GRI 2010 Conference Executive Briefing
The purpose of the lunchtime event is to provide an opportunity to hear from Australian conference delegates and to learn more about how GRI and others will approach the next decade and beyond.
The meeting is just one of many being held at different GRI Focal Points internationally and the discussion from the meeting will be fed back to the GRI Secretariat in Amsterdam.
All speakers were part of the Oceania Delegation attending GRI's conference and will draw from their experience in Amsterdam to reflect upon the two key propositions.
Speakers included: Richard Boele, Banarra
Alison Ewings, Westpac
Andrew Hall, Woolworths
Amanda Keogh, Fuji-Xerox Australia
Rosemary Sainty, United Nations Global Compact Network Australia
Read the summary of the The Future of GRI: Exploring GRI’s Key Propositions held in August 2010