GRI’s CEO on cooperation, headwinds and looking beyond the US and Europe

Robin Hodess talks to Real Economy Progress about the state of corporate sustainability reporting

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is pushing for closer links between its standards and those of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

“In a crowded space of frameworks, targets, platforms and standards, we need to cooperate,” says Robin Hodess, GRI’s CEO.

“There’s no one organisation that has all the answers, or can define the field overall.”

This week, the body explored the topic in a new paper, which it discussed at its latest meeting.

“High quality corporate reporting relies on clear standards, supported by key stakeholders working together to enhance and reinforce their effectiveness,” the report argues.

“To achieve this, the global system can ensure coherence of corporate reporting, where GRI impact disclosures inform reporting of risks and opportunities under IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.”

For example, GRI suggests, a company could use its standards to address the impacts of its transition plans on workers and communities, while continuing to use ISSB to disclose climate-related risks that could affect its future cash flows.

In 2022, GRI signed a memorandum of understanding with the IFRS Foundation, which runs ISSB, that committed the pair to developing complementary standards, with a view to establishing a single “global corporate reporting language” that addressed both financial and impact information.

Last year, they went a step further by agreeing to pilot working together, starting with biodiversity disclosures.

But Hodess says the challenge is now bigger than just coordination.

“It’s been a very turbulent year for sustainability reporting, there’s no denying that,” she tells Real Economy Progress.

“A lot of things that were taken for granted a couple of years ago can no longer be.”

Among those things is the introduction of a robust EU disclosures regime, which was considered settled this time two years ago, with the creation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

But a political lurch to the right and pushback from companies frustrated by the growing reporting burden has seen CSRD and its underlying European Sustainability Reporting Standards slashed in 2025.

Hodess describes the introduction of the ESRS as “a really important moment for GRI”.

“The concept of double materiality was fully embedded in a regional reporting standard, with global consequences,” she notes.

GRI is working with EFRAG, the body in charge of the ESRS, to “make sure the changes have the least possible impact on interoperability” between the two sets of standards.

Elsewhere, Real Economy Progress reported this week that California’s climate disclosure law has been suspended while the courts assess a legal challenge.

“We’re concerned about the general headwinds,” admits Hodess.

“The reality is that we need to do a better job telling the story of the value of reporting.”

But, she points out: “We have to be careful not to be US- and Europe- centric on this, because there are plenty of places where regulators, governments and the private sector are still working together to push sustainability reporting.”

Asia and Latin America in particular are seeing what she describes as “tremendous growth” in momentum.

According to a recent OECD report, the GRI is used by companies representing 61% of global market capitalisation, but this rises to 85% in Latin America and 73% across developed Asia-Pacific firms.

Brazil and Mexico will both roll out mandatory disclosures based on ISSB’s standards next year.

Earlier this month, the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum launched its strategy for the next five years, which included a commitment to “strengthen ESG taxonomies and disclosures to improve consistency and transparency” in the region.

Among its planned efforts, the initiative – which includes financial regulators from all 11 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations – will roll out a simplified guide to ESG disclosures for smaller companies.

Hodess says much of GRI’s focus over the coming year will be on activity outside of Europe, as well as sectoral-based work and continued coordination with other standard setters.

“Companies are looking for clarity on reporting, and encouraging us to collaborate and to find that pathway to a global system that’s going to be easier and create more standardised approaches.”