GRI Launches New Climate-Focused Reporting Standards
Overview
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched two new climate-focused standards—GRI 102: Climate Change and GRI 103: Energy—to help organizations report their environmental impacts more effectively. These standards aim to streamline disclosures, align with global frameworks, and drive real-world climate action.
A Bold Step Toward Climate Accountability
In response to the escalating climate crisis, GRI has introduced two new standards designed to elevate corporate climate reporting: GRI 102: Climate Change and GRI 103: Energy. These standards are built on science-based targets and global climate goals, emphasizing the urgent need for businesses to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and transition to sustainable energy practices.
GRI 102 focuses on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and the concept of a “just transition,” which includes the social impacts on workers, communities, and Indigenous Peoples. Meanwhile, GRI 103 addresses how organizations use energy—both renewable and non-renewable—and how they plan to decarbonize.
Streamlined, Science-Aligned, and Stakeholder-Ready
What sets these standards apart is their alignment with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and other authoritative climate instruments. This ensures that companies can report in a way that is both globally consistent and decision-useful for stakeholders like investors, regulators, and civil society.
Importantly, GRI 102 and 103 are complementary to IFRS S2, meaning companies can use them together to disclose climate-related risks, opportunities, and impacts. This dual compatibility helps bridge the gap between financial and sustainability reporting.
Human-Centered Climate Reporting
GRI’s new standards recognize that climate change is not just an environmental issue—it’s a deeply human one. By incorporating social dimensions into climate disclosures, the standards promote a more holistic view of sustainability. This approach encourages companies to consider the broader implications of their climate strategies, from job transitions to community resilience.
Driving Real-World Impact
According to GRI CEO Robin Hodess, these standards are designed to empower organizations to take meaningful action. By making climate and energy impacts more transparent and comparable, GRI 102 and 103 aim to accelerate the shift toward a low-carbon economy.
As Carol Adams, Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board, put it: “Understanding impacts is the essential precursor to understanding risks and opportunities.” These new standards are a critical tool in building that understanding.
