The Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), an independent body establishing the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, has recently announced that Carol Adams will be the new Chair, effective April 1.
The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are globally recognized as one of the most commonly accepted standards for sustainability reporting by companies. They were developed to facilitate consistent reporting across various companies and industries, ensuring better communication of sustainability issues to stakeholders. The GSSB was created by the GRI in 2015 as an independent operating entity tasked with developing GRI sustainability standards, which were launched in 2016.
In 2019, the GSSB embarked on a project to review these standards, intending to enhance the quality and consistency of sustainability reporting. As a result, the revised universal standards were launched in 2021.
Carol Adams, the newly appointed Chair of GSSB, is a Professor of Accounting at Durham University Business School and has extensive experience in the finance and investment sectors. She is a member of the Australian Accounting Standards Board’s Sustainability Reporting Advisory Panel and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, where she also chairs its Sustainability Panel. Additionally, she advises the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on sustainability reporting and has served in advisory roles for the United Nations (UNDP, UNCTAD), the International Integrated Reporting Council, the Commonwealth Education Trust, and the UK Government’s Implementation Taskforce on Impact Investing.