Faster access to sector standards, as GRI reporting support grows
Published date: 22 September 2026
Q3 GRI Standards Quarterly: a new approach to sector reporting, plus the latest disclosure insights, trends and resources
A more streamlined approach to Sector Standards leads this quarter’s update, starting with a standard for food and beverages. We also highlight new translations for the GRI Standards, and fresh data on the continued global growth of impact reporting.
Focused sector standards to enable speedier roll out
GRI is speeding up the delivery of reporting support in sectors, following GSSB approval to develop sector standards in a streamlined format. This responds to a practical challenge: how to meet the growing demand and gap in the market for authoritative sector guidance on impacts and likely material topics to more sectors, through shorter and more focused sustainability reporting standards.
The first pilot project in this series – for Food and Beverages – will act as a proof of concept for the wider series. As a next step, we are seeking up to 20 members to join an international multi-stakeholder peer review group. Find out more about how to get involved, with the deadline for applications open until 23 October.
The updated format will retain the core structure of existing GRI Sector Standards, yet without the development of additional, sector-specific disclosures. They will identify likely material topics for a sector, summarize the most significant impacts, and help organizations to make use of the available Topic Standards.
The revised approach will significantly reduce development time for a sector standard while retaining GRI's established international multi-stakeholder approach. This will mean more organizations can access industry-specific support, enabling consistent and comparable reporting that meets stakeholder needs.
Coverage of the Standards expanded for Vietnamese
Did you know that the full suite of GRI Standards are available in English plus 10 translations? This month we announced that the most recent GRI Standards have published in Vietnamese – including those for climate change, energy, and biodiversity, plus all Sector Standards.
This underlines our commitment to providing the global common language for sustainability reporting, so that reporters and stakeholders can access the GRI Standards in their local language. The other translations include: Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Quantifying the global spread of impact reporting
The headline news so far this year is that GRI remains the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting standard – used by companies accounting for 62% of global market capitalization.
But the following five insights from the State of Sustainability Reporting research, covering almost 15,000 major companies in 132 markets, may have gone under your radar:
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- In 45 jurisdictions, at least half of large listed companies report with GRI – including Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Indonesia and Türkiye.
- Adoption of the GRI Standards rises with company size, reaching 58% among the largest multinationals assessed.
- Impact reporting requirements are growing, now cover economies representing 40% of global GDP – including the EU, China and India.
- GRI reporters vary across sectors, accounting for 82% of market capitalization in the oil and gas, and 85% in the electronics sector.
- Topics disclosed in over 50% of GRI reports include: energy, emissions, occupational health, diversity, training, employment, waste, water and anti-corruption.
In case you missed it…
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- The final outcome of the UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia reaffirmed the role of GRI in supporting consistent corporate land-related disclosures, as needed to advance land restoration and business resilience.
- We released two GRI 102 case studies – from Community members DEWA and Capricorn Group – that offer practical insights on climate reporting. Further real-life examples to be shared in the coming weeks.
- Five new GRI Academy courses – spanning CDP interoperability, risk management, nature reporting, Scope 3 emissions, and digital taxonomies – have you covered for the latest disclosure trends.
- GRI joined 85 signatories in endorsing the Kumamoto Declaration, a global call to accelerate nature-positive actions, at the conclusion of the Global Nature Positive Summit in Japan.
- GRI has announced a capacity building program in Brazil, with newly-appointed Country Manager Danielly A. Mello Freire to lead engagement with local companies, institutions and stakeholders.