Frequently Asked Questions

The GRI Professional Certification Program is a sustainability curriculum that delivers globally applicable professional development on the GRI Standards and offers professionals an opportunity for continuous learning and upskilling. The program has two flexible learning routes to choose from - online self-paced (Route A) hosted on the GRI Academy or blended (Route B), delivered together with GRI’s network of Certified Training Partners.

This program was developed in response to a market need, and the continuous calls by sustainability professionals for GRI to develop a certification program. Through this program, professionals will be able to enhance their knowledge, expertise, and skills on sustainability practices, particularly in implementing the GRI Standards, with the overall aim to improve the quality of sustainability disclosures and reporting. For a full list of courses offered by the GRI Academy, please see our complete training curriculum.

• Improve skills of sustainability professionals: and subsequently the quality of sustainability disclosures and reporting
• Provide acknowledgement: way for sustainability professionals to demonstrate knowledge, capability, and competence
• Create credibility and marketability: it is a form of quality assurance for sustainability professionals, improving their marketability
• Maintain and upskill knowledge: continuing education will keep sustainability professionals up to date

The program consists of four courses (see below) that cover the fundamentals of GRI reporting and the certification exam. On the GRI Academy courses page you can find more information about each course, the content and the learning objectives:

If you are not certified yet, you can become certified by completing the full Certification Program via Route A or Route B and passing the Certification exam.

The reason for having different learning channels (online – Route A - and face to face – Route B) is to cater to the needs of different types of learners and have a global reach at the same time.

GRI’s Certified Training Course is a customized training in a peer-to-peer learning environment offering networking opportunities and locally tailored content delivered by 91 training partners across 48 countries offer.

If you opt for Route B, the GRI Standards Certified Training course, held by our Certified Training Partners, is equivalent to the first two courses

1) “Introduction to sustainability reporting and the GRI Standards”
2) “Reporting with GRI Standards Update”.

In cases where CTPs also license the two additional courses –

3) “Reporting on Human Rights with GRI Standards”
4) “Integrating the SDGs into sustainability reporting”,

these courses can also be taken through a CTP. Otherwise, these courses can be completed directly on the GRI Academy.

There is a lot of added value to attending a course through a Certified Training Partner including:

• Local context: The material from Training Partners is certified and includes local cases and examples tailored to the region where the course is being offered. Often, it is also offered in the local language.
• Peer to peer learning: CTPs provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, which is invaluable.
• Networking opportunities: Through the set-up of face-to-face or remote training sessions, the participants get networking opportunities through the CTP courses.
• Practical learning: The GRI online courses cover the essentials of reporting, but without the learner practicing the presented concepts, whereas the CTP courses provide practical exercises and case studies.
• Access to a trainer: The participants get access to the trainer (an experienced sustainability professional) throughout the CTP courses.

If a participant previously completed the required CEUs in an effort to recertify, any
additional CEU credits will roll over into the new certification period

We will only recognize CEU credits towards the extension of you certification if they were obtained after the date you received your certification.

Besides sustainability reporting professionals (within companies) and consultants, this program is also very useful for anyone who works with sustainability reporting, such as Chief Sustainability Officers and assurers.

No, for the moment there is no such requirement.

The Certification exam can only be taken online and only at the GRI Academy. It consists of 40 single and multiple-choice questions and requires a passing score of 75%. Candidates have up to three attempts in total within a six-month period, with a mandatory 7-day cooling-off period between attempts.

The Certification Exam can be taken online through the GRI Academy. Upon completion of the learning path, all eligible candidates will be able to take this Exam at their convenience without having to make an appointment.

The GRI Professional Certification Program (including the Certification exam) is currently
offered in both English and Spanish.

No, the Professional Certification Program requires to follow the compulsory learning path. The courses are a prerequisite to take the Certification exam. In very specific cases, where the Grandfathering policy below applies, experts will be allowed to go directly to the Certification exam without having to go through the required courses by submitting this self-declaration form.

Yes, if participants complete all required courses and pass the final exam, they will receive a certificate confirming their status as “GRI Certified Sustainability Professional” and a corresponding badge to include in their email signature. In addition, each of the courses comes with its own certificate of completion.

Successfully attending the “GRI Certified Training course” with one of our certified training partners, is the equivalent to the first two courses of the Program. To continue the Program, you must select the ‘Route B Learning Path’ from the Course Catalogue in the GRI Academy. Subsequently, you can proceed with the remaining courses and, once completed, the Professional Certification Exam will be unlocked. Alternatively, in cases where training partners license the additional courses from GRI, these courses can also be taken through the training partner.

If you do not meet the passing mark of 75% for the GRI Professional Certification Exam, please email the team at [email protected].

Participants of the GRI Standards Certified Training course, through the GRI Certified Training Partners, get a 25% discount on the Certification Exam fee. After completing the training course, you will receive a questionnaire from GRI Academy. Once you complete and submit the feedback questionnaire, you will receive your certificate of completion and the 25% exam discount code.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are educational activities required to maintain the status of a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional or GRI Certified ESRS Sustainability Professional. These recertification courses, developed by the GRI Academy, are mandatory for individuals who have completed the GRI Professional Certification Program or the GRI ESRS Professional Certification Program.

The titles "GRI Certified Sustainability Professional" and "GRI Certified ESRS Sustainability Professional" are regulated by GRI. Those who hold these titles are responsible for maintaining and enhancing their professional competence. To stay up to date with the latest developments in sustainability, certified professionals must complete courses annually that support the continuous growth of their skills and knowledge.

If you have already met your recertification requirements, your updated digital credential will be issued after your current certification period expires. You can find your certification details in the Directory of GRI Certified Sustainability Professionals.

Only GRI Academy Continuing Education Unit (CEU) courses count towards recertification for GRI Professional Certification Programs. CEU courses can be found on the GRI Academy recertification page.

To find your Continuing Education Unit (CEU) balance, go to the "Additional Info" section of your user account in the GRI Academy Learning Platform. First, sign in at the GRI Academy Learning Platform. Then, click on the User Menu in the top left of your dashboard and navigate to "My Activities" to view your CEU balance.

You can select any combination of Continuing Education Unit (CEU) courses, as long as you accumulate enough CEU points before your current certification period expires.

As of November 1, 2023, individuals renewing or achieving their GRI Professional Certification are required to complete a minimum of 4 CEUs per year. If you were certified or had your certification extended before November 1, 2023, your certification validity period is 2 years. In this case, you must complete 8 CEUs within the 2-year period.

Your certification period dates can be found in the Directory of GRI Certified Sustainability Professionals.

If a participant has already completed more than the required number of CEUs in an effort to recertify, the excess credits will roll over into the new certification period.

If you do not complete your CEUs in time, your certification status will expire. As a result, you will no longer be listed in the Directory of GRI Certified Sustainability Professionals.

To get reinstated, you must:

• Within 3 months of certification expiry: Complete the missing CEUs and pay a fee of €100.


• Within 6 months of certification expiry: Complete the missing CEUs and retake the Professional Certification Exam.

For more details, you can email the team at [email protected].

The ESRS Certification Program is designed for individuals involved in or preparing to meet the challenges of CSRD reporting.

Yes, you can purchase any of the courses that compose the certification program individually, whether you go for the certification or not. There is no need to purchase the whole learning path in one go. Note that, to be awarded the title that comes with the certification, you need to complete all six courses and pass the final exam.

The ESRS Certification Program has a total cost of €1250. If you want to purchase individual courses, each of them has a different price, which you can find out on our certification page.

The total cost to become certified is the same whether you buy all courses plus the exam in one go or all courses individually.

The ESRS Professional Certification Program is a sustainability curriculum designed for individuals involved in or preparing to meet the challenges of CSRD reporting. It offers professional development tailored to building the knowledge, expertise, and skills required for the effective application of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards.

The program consists of six courses and a final exam, all available 24/7 through the GRI Academy. Alternatively, you can take one or more courses through an engaging, trainer-led experience delivered by a GRI Certified Training Partner in more than 50 countries.

As from January 2024, the new European Standards came into effect for over 42,000 companies – including large companies in the EU as well as those listed on European stock exchanges. GRI has developed the ESRS Professional Certification Program to equip reporters with the knowledge and skills needed to confidently navigate ESRS reporting challenges.

Here are the five reasons to obtain the ESRS certification:

1. Deepen your expertise and build practical skills for implementing the ESRS effectively.

2. Earn professional recognition from a co-creator of the ESRS.

3. Elevate the quality and credibility of your ESRS sustainability reports.

4. Advance your career with in-demand skills and a competitive edge.

5. Bolster your credentials as a sustainability reporting professional

The program consists of six courses (see below) that cover the fundamentals of ESRS reporting and the certification exam. On the GRI Academy courses page you can find more information about each course, the content, and the learning objectives:

• Introduction to the CSRD and Reporting with the ESRS


• Stakeholder Engagement for ESRS Reporting


• Double Materiality Assessment under the ESRS


• How to Collect and Report Information Under the ESRS


• Preparing for External Assurance for ESRS Reporting


• Digital Reporting under the CSRD

You can become certified by taking all six courses from the ESRS Professional Certification Program and passing the Certification exam.

Participants of the ESRS training courses, through the GRI Certified Training Partners, get a 25% discount on the ESRS Certification Exam fee. After completing the training course, you will receive a questionnaire from GRI Academy. Once you complete and submit the feedback questionnaire, you will receive your certificate of completion and the 25% exam discount code.

The Certification Exam consists of 40 single and multiple-choice questions and requires a passing score of 75%. Candidates have up to three attempts in total within a six-month period, with a mandatory 7-day cooling-off period between attempts.

The Certification Exam can be taken online through the GRI Academy. Upon completion of the learning path, all eligible candidates will be able to take this Exam at their convenience without having to make an appointment.

Currently the exam is only available in English.

No, the Professional Certification Program requires to follow the compulsory learning path. The courses are a prerequisite to take the Certification exam.

Yes, if participants complete all required courses and pass the final exam, they will receive a certificate confirming their status as “GRI Certified ESRS Sustainability Professional” and a corresponding badge to include in their email signature. In addition, each of the courses comes with its own certificate of completion.

If you do not meet the passing mark of 75% for the GRI ESRS Professional Certification Exam, please email the team at [email protected].