National Mineral Policy 2006 - Department of Mines

While unique in its coverage and process as a reporting standard, strong links exist betweenGRI and initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines forMultinational Enterprises, ISO 14001 andmany others. GRI establishes variousmechanisms for collaborating with suchinitiatives to achieve maximum alignment andmutual benefits. Components of manyinitiatives appear in the Guidelinesthemselves, at the same time the Guidelinesprovide an instrument for tracking progress ina rigourous and transparent fashion.Assurance standards can help strengthenGRI–based reporting by providing addedcredibility to those organisations that chooseto pursue external, independent verification oftheir reports. Such assurance, which GRIencourages, is one among numerousapproaches to achieving credibility in the eyesof report users.The GRI Family of DocumentsThe GRI family of documents includes the Guidelines themselves as well as sectorsupplements, technical protocols, and issue guidance documents.Sector supplements recognise the limits of a one-size-fits-all approach by providing guidancethat captures sustainability issues faced by specific industry sectors. Sector supplements (e.g.,for financial services, telecommunications, auto manufacturing, mining) are used inconjunction with GRI’s core Guidelines.Technical protocols provide detailed measurement methods and procedures for reporting onindicators contained in the core Guidelines andsector supplements. For example, there is a protocolfor the energy indicators providing definitions (e.g.,direct vs. indirect energy) and measurementmethodologies (e.g., conversions, units). Technicalprotocols are comparable to the “GenerallyAccepted Accounting Principles” that guidefinancial reporting.Issue guidance documents on topics such as“diversity” and “productivity” will provideorganisations with innovative, thematic models fororganising and reporting the information in theGuidelines and sector supplements.As these documents emerge in the coming years, they will provide an integrated package thatwill help move report quality to the level of comparability and rigour to which GRI aspires.270