Work Streams

UNEP FI / GRI Pilot Process

GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement out for public comment

Since 2006 UNEP FI and GRI have jointly coordinated a working group to pilot and review the draft versions of the GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (Environmental and Social Performance).

As part of this piloting process, the working group has tested and reviewed the environmental and social performance indicators. During this process the working group has succeeded to:

• Refine the existing indicators
• Reduce the number of indicators through eliminating overlaps with the G3 Guidelines
• Develop technical guidance notes for all indicators in the Supplement
• Undertake research on relevant social topics for reporting in the financial sector and develop respective new indicators
• Merge the environmental and social indicator set into one Financial Services Sector Supplement
• Adapt the Supplement to the structure of the G3 Guidelines

The revised Supplement including all these changes is now out for public comment until 10 January, 2008. The UNEP FI - GRI working group would welcome your feedback on the changes made. Please use the response form below for providing feedback.

Download:

1. Revised GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (PDF: 345 KB)
2. Response form (Word Document: 241 KB)

Deadline for sending feedback: 10 January 2008

Pilot Process for the GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement

Since 2006 UNEP FI and GRI are collaborating to review the Pilot Version 1.0 of the GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (Environmental Performance) (PDF: 192 KB) as well as the GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (Social Performance). A working group consisting of 11 financial institutions and 8 stakeholder groups has been built up, representing a range of different regions and experience, in order to pilot test the environmental and social indicators and to provide feedback on the subsequent reports.

Objectives

1. Enhance ease and consistency of use of the indicators/supplement(s) for reporters by providing technical guidance on their application;
2. Gather feedback on the existing supplements and implement any necessary changes to develop a final version of a GRI Financial Services Supplement that combines both environmental and social performance; and
3. Build capacity amongst new reporters, particularly in developing countries and emerging economies.

Activities

The activities of the working group are based on the due process for developing sector supplements established by the GRI Board of Directors. They were designed with the intention of both improving the quality of the GRI’s reporting guidance and building capacity with new and existing reporters. The pilot testing activities are:

1. Development of technical protocols (i.e. guidance notes) to explain the application of the indicators in concise and simple manner; and
2. Organisation of workshops for project orientation and discussion of the feedback.

Members