GRI: Users of sustainability training platform grow 42% in one year

24 / 02 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) said that users of sustainability platform grew by 42 percent in one year.

Records were broken in 2022 for new users of the GRI Academy – with 7,000 people from around the world joining the platform, a substantial increase on the 4,000 in the previous year. In total, over 800 individuals successfully completed the Professional Certification Program last year, a 37 percent rise on 2021.

Two new courses are available this month on the GRI Academy – the world’s leading education portal for sustainability reporting professionals. As part of a first step to widen the reach of online training, a Spanish-language introductory course on the GRI Standards has launched, as well as the first Sector Standards course, on oil and gas.

The first course of the Certification Program is now provided in Spanish. This module covers the practice of sustainability reporting, and the challenges associated with sustainable development. It then addresses the role of the GRI Standards and the key reporting principles and concepts involved.

This training introduces participants to the role of Sector Standards, taking them through the likely material topics, context and impacts of the oil and gas sector, as identified in GRI 11. It includes company case studies that put the learning in context and share experiences from current reporters.

“Over the past year, the GRI Academy has continued to go from strength to strength. The growth in users is very encouraging, and signals the demand for high-quality, certified training from sustainability and ESG professionals and students around the world. Launching our first course in Spanish is an exciting moment, with the intention to roll out the full Certification Program in Spanish by Q2 of this year. Following on from the Reporting with GRI 11 course, we will be supporting the GRI Sector Program with further accompanying training courses in the near future,” Head of Education Paul Broekhof said.

The Professional Certification Program enables individuals to build their knowledge of sustainability reporting, demonstrate competence in the GRI Standards and leads to globally recognized qualification. The program can be completed fully online or in combination with locally delivered training courses through GRI’s network of Certified Training Partners.