After detailed briefings on points of interest in the G3 Guidelines provided by GRI technical team members Leontien Plugge and Sandra Vijn, the floor was opened to group discussion. A key point of interest was how the process of reporting could be used to improve they everyday practice and efficiency of stakeholder dialogue and engagement.
The role of financial markets as a driver for sustainability reporting, and as a reward mechanism for good sustainability performance was also discussed.
There was some debate about whether it would be possible to do “process/procedural” external auditing without entering into a full assurance process. Participants debated whether or not assurance on the extent of use of the Guidelines could be separated from the assurance on the content of the resulting report.
G3 performance indicators generated a lot of interest. The relationship between the new principles as guidance for the indicator selection, and the performance indicators themselves was discussed. Participants suggested clear guidance on the relationship between G3 core and additional indicators, and those contained in sector supplements.
Finally participants noted that various formats for reporting were emerging, including stand alone reports, integrated financial and sustainability reports, and separate “partial” reports targeted for specific audiences/stakeholder groups.