GRI launches new climate and energy standards to elevate global accountability and accelerate climate action

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched two transformative reporting standards: GRI 102: Climate Change and GRI 103: Energy. These new frameworks are designed to deliver accessible, science-based, and decision-useful disclosures that empower organizations to take accountability for their environmental impacts and contribute meaningfully to global climate goals.

Unveiled during London Climate Action Week, the launch marks a major milestone in advancing integrated and globally aligned sustainability reporting. By emphasizing transparency, scientific rigor, and social equity, GRI 102 and 103 aim to streamline corporate climate disclosures while deepening their real-world relevance and effectiveness.

Putting Accountability at the Core of Climate Action

GRI 102: Climate Change sets a new bar for organizations to report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions based on science-based targets aligned with international climate agreements. Uniquely, it integrates metrics addressing the ‘just transition’—capturing the broader human and social implications of climate action, including impacts on workers, local communities, and Indigenous Peoples.

GRI 103: Energy focuses on a company’s energy-related activities, demanding robust disclosure of renewable and non-renewable energy use, decarbonization strategies, and the scope of energy reduction measures. Together, these Standards frame responsible energy use and emissions reduction as central to meaningful climate mitigation.

Speaking at the launch, Robin Hodess, GRI CEO, said:

Amid an escalating climate emergency, the GRI Standards for Climate Change and Energy get to the heart of why companies need to be accountable for their impacts on people and planet, an essential precursor to understanding related risks and opportunities. By supporting organizations to disclose their climate change impacts in a comprehensive and comparable way, including the impacts of transition and adaptation plans, GRI 102 and 103 have a key role in the advancement of a cohesive and effective global system for climate reporting.

Robin Hodess, GRI CEO

Science-Based, Globally Aligned, and Interoperable

Both standards are grounded in authoritative climate instruments and are fully aligned with the GHG Protocol, streamlining emissions reporting and reducing duplication. This ensures that the information disclosed is not only accurate and relevant but also consistent with the expectations of regulators, investors, and other stakeholders.

Carol Adams, Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), reinforced this vision:

Climate change is a deeply human issue, as much as it is an environmental one, and these new GRI Standards are unique in bringing these dimensions together. GRI 102 and 103 will enable transparency and action on climate and energy impacts that drives decision-making by companies, regulators, investors and other stakeholders.

Carol Adams, Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB)

In a significant step toward harmonizing global sustainability frameworks, GRI 102 is designed to be complementary with the IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures, ensuring organizations can meet multiple reporting requirements with consistency. A joint statement confirms that disclosures on Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions made under IFRS S2 are considered equivalent to GRI 102 requirements, provided they adhere to the GHG Protocol and are properly referenced in a GRI content index.

Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), welcomed the development:

We welcome the publication of GRI’s new Climate Change and Energy Standards. We are working together with the GRI to enhance the interoperability and efficiency of reporting using our respective standards. In this regard, we are delighted that the GRI have granted equivalence to IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures for disclosures of GHG emissions under GRI 102. This will enable companies to prepare just one set of GHG emissions disclosures in accordance with IFRS S2, to meet the requirements in both standards. Beyond this, the two standards can be used together assisting preparers in providing information to investors and a broader range of stakeholders about their climate-related impacts, risks, and opportunities in an efficient manner.

Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

This synergy was echoed by Pankaj Bhatia, Co-Director at GHG Protocol (WRI):

GRI’s alignment with the GHG Protocol reinforces a clear message: organizations don’t have to choose between standards. By using a common foundation for emissions data, companies can meet global reporting needs efficiently and consistently. This interoperability helps reduce duplication, increase transparency, and accelerate meaningful climate action. We’re proud to support this step toward a more streamlined, impactful disclosure ecosystem.

Pankaj Bhatia, Co-Director at GHG Protocol (WRI)

Tools, Training, and Global Input

To support adoption, GRI has rolled out several practical tools:

• A dedicated GRI Academy course: Climate Reporting with GRI and IFRS Standards;
• Detailed FAQs for both GRI 102 and GRI 103;
• A GRI Community early adopter pilot, with case studies to be released in Q4 2025.

The development of the standards was led by a GSSB-appointed Technical Committee over a two-year, multi-stakeholder process. The global public comment period (November 2023 – February 2024) drew on input from communities most vulnerable to climate change and engaged experts in human rights, energy systems, just transition, science-based targets, and carbon credits.

Advancing a Cohesive Global Reporting System

GRI’s collaborative approach extends beyond IFRS. A close partnership with EFRAG has resulted in strong alignment between GRI 102 and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS E1). Additionally, the target-setting content within GRI 102 aligns with the Corporate Net Zero Standard developed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The release of GRI 102 and 103 signifies a major evolution in sustainability reporting. By embedding science, equity, and accountability into climate and energy disclosures, the new standards provide a clear, actionable roadmap for organizations to navigate and respond to the global climate emergency with transparency and purpose.