GRI to convene global conference on addressing the challenges of sustainability through transparency

Amsterdam, October 13 2009
The Global Reporting Initiative today announced that its third biennial Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency will take place from the 26th to the 28th May 2010 at the Amsterdam RAI Elicium.
The conference and registration websites were both launched today.
The conference will provide a space for large and small businesses, commercial and non-commercial organizations including NGOs, civil society, governments and regulators from across the globe to come together to debate the issues confronting us.
As we face a time of unprecedented crisis the theme of the conference is: Rethink. Rebuild. Report.
Themes
Our resource consumption has gone beyond what our planet can sustain, yet billions continue to live in poverty. The world’s population is set to increase massively and more and more people will, understandably, expect to live the lifestyles currently enjoyed by the few. This unsustainable outlook has become a core business issue, requiring companies and governments to rethink the fundamentals.
As we climb out of global recession we have a unique opportunity – and an urgent need – to rebuild our economies to meet the challenges of the future; not the past. We have the opportunity to drive the transition to sustainable practices, where sustainability is at the core of public policy and business strategy, evident in products and processes, and key to consumer choices.
Sustainability reporting can be an effective tool for change. Credible disclosures map out current positions and point the way forwards, towards solutions that benefit both business and wider society. Full economic, environmental and social accountability is based on transparent communication. Transparent communication changes perceptions, builds trust, and motivates action towards greater sustainability.
The conference
Thought leaders from business, finance, government and civil society will debate the political, strategic and practical choices facing companies and organizations. Expert practitioners will lead workshops and interactive sessions to define the building blocks of more effective reporting.
Simon Hale, GRI Conference Director said, “Since the last biennial conference in 2008 there has been a massive increase in the number of organizations and businesses that are reporting. Globally, governments and regulators have begun to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting requirements into regulatory frameworks. The 2010 GRI conference will explore how we can further develop sustainability reporting as a key driver towards a sustainable future.”
The conference will feature the GRI Readers Choice Awards (RCA). The awards poll global readers to select the best sustainability report in several categories. 2008 winners included ABN AMRO India, Petrobras and TGC-5.
2008 conference speakers, attendees and sponsors included HM Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, Rabobank, Oxfam, Amnesty International, CERES, Goldman Sachs, TERI, BLIHR, WBCSD, IPCC, British Telecom, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, KLM, UNEP and Deloitte & Touche. In addition, the BBC World News hosted their World Debate live from the conference.
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For further information on the conference, visit: www.amsterdamgriconference.org
To register as a conference participant, visit: http://www.eventure-online.com/eventure/welcome.do?type=participant&congress=6_10GRI
For further information on The Readers’ Choice Awards visit: http://awards.globalreporting.org
Media Contact
Scott McAusland, Global Reporting Initiative
t: +31 (0)20 531 0034 e: mcausland@globalreporting.org
Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
Joost de Kluijver, Global Reporting Initiative
t: +31 (0)20 531 0041 e: Kluijver@globalreporting.org
About The Global Reporting Initiative
The Global Reporting Initiative has pioneered the development of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide. This framework sets out the principles and indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance.
www.globalreporting.org