UN FfD4 outcome document names GRI and ISSB for sustainability reporting

The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development endorsed GRI and ISSB standards in its Seville outcome document, marking the first UN intergovernmental reference to GRI alongside ISSB. The move cements double materiality as a global norm, raising the bar for dual-impact disclosure expectations facing Indian companies and regulators.

At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), held in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025, the outcome document known as the Compromiso de Sevilla called on UN Member States to consider using GRI and ISSB standards in a flexible, country-specific manner. Paragraph 34e encourages integrating these frameworks to improve global comparability in impact, risk, and opportunity reporting. It is the first UN intergovernmental agreement to reference GRI explicitly alongside ISSB, positioning both as complementary disclosure tools.

The document urges financial institutions, development agencies, and credit rating agencies to embed GRI and ISSB standards in ratings and financing decisions, directly affecting how capital is allocated. Corporate sustainability teams, regulatory analysts, and issuers seeking sustainable capital are most exposed, as double materiality becomes a baseline expectation. The framing connects to the estimated USD 4 trillion annual financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals, signalling that credible dual-impact disclosure increasingly conditions access to sustainable finance worldwide.

Companies should track how national regulators and rating agencies respond to the FfD4 call, particularly any moves to align local disclosure regimes with GRI and ISSB. Sustainability teams should assess readiness for double-materiality reporting covering both financial and environmental-social impacts. GRI co-hosted events with UNDP and led a coalition advocating harmonised disclosure during the FfD4 process, so monitoring follow-up guidance from these bodies will indicate the pace of convergence and emerging compliance expectations.

Key figure — SDG financing gap: USD 4 trillion annually