Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an independent international organization was founded in Boston in 1997 by the non-profit organizations CERES and the Tellus Institute, with involvement of the UN Environment Programme to help businesses and other organizations communicating their impacts on the economy, environment, and society - including those on human rights.

The first version of what was then the GRI Guidelines (G1) were published in 2000 – providing the first global framework for sustainability reporting. In 2002, the first update to the Guidelines (G2) was launched. As demand for GRI reporting and uptake from organizations steadily grew, the Guidelines were expanded and improved, leading to G3 (2006) and G4 (2013). In 2016, GRI transitioned from providing guidelines to setting the first global standards for sustainability reporting – the GRI Standards. 

Three series of GRI Standards support the reporting process: the GRI Topic Standards, each dedicated to a particular topic and listing disclosures relevant to that topic; the GRI Sector Standards, applicable to specific sectors; and the GRI Universal Standards, which apply to all organizations. The organizations may use these standards to determine what topics are material (relevant) to report on and to indicate their contributions – positive or negative – towards sustainable development.

Access the GRI Standards.​​