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Appendix A – GRI Profile Disclosures
This appendix reprints the Profile Disclosures provided by the GRI G3 Guidelines[1].
This section specifies the base content that should appear in a sustainability report, subject to the guidance on materiality.
Profile disclosures set the overall context for understanding organizational performance such as its strategy, profile, and governance.
Reporting organizations are encouraged to follow this structure in compiling their reports, however, other formats may be chosen.
Strategy and Analysis
This section is intended to provide a high-level, strategic view of the organization’s relationship to sustainability in order to provide context for subsequent and more detailed reporting against other sections of the Guidelines. It may draw on information provided in other parts of the report, but this section is intended to produce insight on strategic topics rather than simply summarize the contents of the report. The strategy and analysis should consist of the statement outlined in 1.1 and a concise narrative outlined in 1.2.
1.1 Statement from the most senior decision-maker of the organization (e.g., CEO, chair, or equivalent senior position) about the relevance of sustainability to the organization and its strategy.
The statement should present the overall vision and strategy for the short-term, medium-term (e.g., 3-5 years), and long-term, particularly with regard to managing the key challenges associated with economic, environmental, and social performance. The statement should include:
- Strategic priorities and key topics for the short/medium-term with regard to sustainability, including respect for internationally agreed standards and how they relate to long-term organizational strategy and success;
- Broader trends (e.g., macroeconomic or political) affecting the organization and influencing sustainability priorities;
- Key events, achievements, and failures during the reporting period;
- Views on performance with respect to targets;
- Outlook on the organization’s main challenges and targets for the next year and goals for the coming 3-5 years; and
- Other items pertaining to the organization’s strategic approach.
1.2 Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities.
The reporting organization should provide two concise narrative sections on key impacts, risks, and opportunities.
Section One should focus on the organization’s key impacts on sustainability and effects on stakeholders, including rights as defined by national laws and relevant internationally agreed standards. This should take into account the range of reasonable expectations and interests of the organization’s stakeholders. This section should include:
- A description of the significant impacts the organization has on sustainability and associated challenges and opportunities. This includes the effect on stakeholders’ rights as defined by national laws and the expectations in internationally-agreed standards and norms;
- An explanation of the approach to prioritizing these challenges and opportunities;
- Key conclusions about progress in addressing these topics and related performance in the reporting period. This includes an assessment of reasons for underperformance or over-performance; and
- A description of the main processes in place to address performance and/or relevant changes.
Section Two should focus on the impact of sustainability trends, risks, and opportunities on the long-term prospects and financial performance of the organization. This should concentrate specifically on information relevant to financial stakeholders or that could become so in the future. Section Two should include the following:
- A description of the most important risks and opportunities for the organization arising from sustainability trends;
- Prioritization of key sustainability topics as risks and opportunities according to their relevance for long-term organizational strategy, competitive position, qualitative, and (if possible) quantitative financial value drivers;
- Table(s) summarizing:
- Targets, performance against targets, and lessons-learned for the current reporting period; and
- Targets for the next reporting period and mid-term objectives and goals (i.e., 3-5 years) related to key risks and opportunities.
Concise description of governance mechanisms in place to specifically manage these risks and opportunities, and identification of other related risks and opportunities.
Organizational Profile
2.1 Name of the organization.
2.2 Primary brands, products, and/or services.
The reporting organization should indicate the nature of its role in providing these products and services, and the degree to which it utilizes outsourcing
2.3 Operational structure of the organization, including main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures.
2.4 Location of organization’s headquarters.
2.5 Number of countries where the organization operates, and names of countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report.
2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form.
2.7 Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and types of customers/beneficiaries).
2.8 Scale of the reporting organization, including:
- Number of employees;
- Net sales (for private sector organizations) or net revenues (for public sector organizations);
- Total capitalization broken down in terms of debt and equity (for private sector organizations); and
- Quantity of products or services provided.
In addition to the above, reporting organizations are encouraged to provide additional information, as appropriate, such as:
- Total assets;
- Beneficial ownership (including identity and percentage of ownership of largest shareholders); and
- Breakdowns by country/region of the following:
- Sales/revenues by countries/regions that make up 5 percent or more of total revenues;
- Costs by countries/regions that make up 5 percent or more of total revenues; and
- Employees.
2.9 Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure, or ownership including:
- The location of, or changes in operations, including facility openings, closings, and expansions; and
- Changes in the share capital structure and other capital formation, maintenance, and alteration operations (for private sector organizations).
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period.
Report Parameters
Report Profile
3.1 Reporting period (e.g., fiscal/calendar year) for information provided.
3.2 Date of most recent previous report (if any).
3.3 Reporting cycle (annual, biennial, etc.)
3.4 Contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents.
Report Scope and Boundary
3.5 Process for defining report content, including:
- Determining materiality;
- Prioritizing topics within the report; and
- Identifying stakeholders the organization expects to use the report.
Include an explanation of how the organization has applied the ‘Guidance on Defining Report Content’ and the associated Principles.
3.6 Boundary of the report (e.g., countries, divisions, subsidiaries, leased facilities, joint ventures, suppliers). See GRI Boundary Protocol for further guidance.
3.7 State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report.
If boundary and scope do not address the full range of material economic, environmental, and social impacts of the organization, state the strategy and projected timeline for providing complete coverage.
3.8 Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect comparability from period to period and/or between organizations.
3.9 Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the Indicators and other information in the report.
Explain any decisions not to apply, or to substantially diverge from, the GRI Indicator Protocols.
3.10 Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier reports, and the reasons for such re-statement (e.g., mergers/acquisitions, change of base years/periods, nature of business, measurement methods).
3.11 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report.
GRI Content Index
3.12 Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report.
Identify the page numbers or web links where the following can be found:
- Strategy and Analysis 1.1 – 1.2;
- Organizational Profile 2.1 – 2.10;
- Report Parameters 3.1 – 3.13; and
- Governance, Commitments, and Engagement 4.1 – 4.17.
- Disclosure of Management Approach, per category;
- Core Performance Indicators;
- Any GRI Additional Indicators that were included; and
- Any GRI Sector Supplement Indicators included in the report.
Assurance
3.13 Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report. If not included in the assurance report accompanying the sustainability report, explain the scope and basis of any external assurance provided. Also explain the relationship between the reporting organization and the assurance provider(s).
Governance
4.1 Governance structure of the organization, including committees under the highest governance body responsible for specific tasks, such as setting strategy or organizational oversight.
Describe the mandate and composition (including number of independent members and/or non-executive members) of such committees and indicate any direct responsibility for economic, social, and environmental performance.
4.2 Indicate whether the Chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer (and, if so, their function within the organization’s management and the reasons for this arrangement).
4.3 For organizations that have a unitary board structure, state the number of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members.
State how the organization defines ‘independent’ and ‘non-executive’. This element applies only for organizations that have unitary board structures. See the glossary for a definition of ‘independent’.
4.4 Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body.
Include reference to processes regarding:
- The use of shareholder resolutions or other mechanisms for enabling minority shareholders to express opinions to the highest governance body; and
- Informing and consulting employees about the working relationships with formal representation bodies such as organization level ‘work councils’, and representation of employees in the highest governance body.
Identify topics related to economic, environmental, and social performance raised through these mechanisms during the reporting period.
4.5 Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, senior managers, and executives (including departure arrangements), and the organization’s performance (including social and environmental performance).
4.6 Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided.
4.7 Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body for guiding the organization’s strategy on economic, environmental, and social topics.
4.8 Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct, and principles relevant to economic, environmental, and social performance and the status of their implementation.
Explain the degree to which these:
- Are applied across the organization in different regions and department/units; and
- Relate to internationally agreed standards.
4.9 Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organization’s identification and management of economic, environmental, and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities, and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct, and principles.
Include frequency with which the highest governance body assesses sustainability performance.
4.10 Processes for evaluating the highest governance body’s own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and social performance.
Commitments to External Initiatives
4.11 Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organization.
Article 15 of the Rio Principles introduced the precautionary approach. A response to 4.11 could address the organization’s approach to risk management in operational planning or the development and introduction of new products.
4.12 Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or endorses.
Include date of adoption, countries/operations where applied, and the range of stakeholders involved in the development and governance of these initiatives (e.g., multi-stakeholder, etc.). Differentiate between non-binding, voluntary initiatives and those with which the organization has an obligation to comply.
4.13 Memberships in associations (such as industry associations) and/or national/international advocacy organizations in which the organization:
- Has positions in governance bodies;
- Participates in projects or committees;
- Provides substantive funding beyond routine membership dues; or
- Views membership as strategic.
This refers primarily to memberships maintained at the organizational level.
Stakeholder Engagement
The following Disclosure Items refer to general stakeholder engagement conducted by the organization over the course of the reporting period. These Disclosures are not limited to stakeholder engagement implemented for the purposes of preparing a sustainability report.
4.14 List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization.
Examples of stakeholder groups are:
- Communities;
- Civil society;
- Customers;
- Shareholders and providers of capital;
- Suppliers; and
- Employees, other workers, and their trade unions.
4.15 Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage.
This includes the organization’s process for defining its stakeholder groups, and for determining the groups with which to engage and not to engage.
4.16 Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group.
This could include surveys, focus groups, community panels, corporate advisory panels, written communication, management/union structures, and other vehicles. The organization should indicate whether any of the engagement was undertaken specifically as part of the report preparation process.
4.17 Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organization has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through its reporting.
[1] Global Reporting Initiative. 2007. G3 Online: Product Disclosures. Stichting Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), www.globalreporting.org
Property Council |
Monday, 1 June 2009 1:22 AM |
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Review content for the page 'How to use these Guidelines' and either post your comments via the blog or send your comments via the link provided below.
How to use these Guidelines
1. This guide applies to all property assets, except infrastructure (eg. rail/road, energy, exclusions may occur where these projects include built environment eg. transport hubs).
2. This guide is voluntary. It is not a rating tool and the Property Council will not publicly state whether companies comply with the performance indicators or provide advice on the use of the template in individual circumstances.
3. The guide provides indicators for different spheres of company operations – it does not attempt to cover every performance criteria nominated by other international reporting standards.
4. Companies choosing to report on any of the indicators are advised to use the metrics provided.
5. When applying the metrics users need to exercise their judgement rather than rely on hard rules or ‘tick the box’ rating systems.
6. Companies are encouraged to extend their corporate responsibility reporting to include international reporting standards, using the Property Council guide as a basic starting point for this exercise.
7. This guide does not cover economic metrics covered by international financial reporting standards.
8. This guide does not identify the legal obligations and reporting responsibilities of a company, the document assumes that all companies comply with Australian law.
9. Users of this document should note:
a. the materiality of the indicators is identified at the top right hand corner of each page;
b. companies should decide which of the metrics they wish to report against – there is no expectation that all must be used;
c. additional guidance or interpretation is provided at the bottom of the page; and
d. for those who wish to apply their results to other reporting schemes, equivalent indicators are listed on the bottom left of each page.
10. Reporting organizations are encouraged to follow the GRI Profile Disclosures provided in Appendix A as structure for compiling their reports, however, other formats may be chosen.
11. Companies should consider seeking independent assurance before making statements about their performance.
12. Appendix B: Materiality Summary has been provided so that companies can quickly identify which performance indicators are relevant to their areas of operation.
Property Council |
Monday, 1 June 2009 1:06 AM |
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