GRI Standards: preparing sustainability reporting in Switzerland
The GRI Standards structure how organisations report their impacts. Using them requires the right versions and an accurate description of the reporting approach. Learn how to identify material topics, prepare evidence and explain the level of compliance.
By Sarah Prieur · Swiss certified accountant
What are the GRI Standards used for?
The GRI Standards provide a framework for reporting an organisation's impacts on the economy, the environment and people, including human rights. Published through the Global Reporting Initiative, they organise the information disclosed and how material topics are explained.
A GRI report is not an ESG rating or automatic certification of good environmental and social performance. An organisation can publish detailed information while also reporting significant problems.
The framework helps make information more structured and understandable. Using it requires clarity about the standards, versions, reporting boundary and statement of use selected.
For a Swiss business, distinguish voluntary use of a framework from legal reporting duties. Referring to GRI does not, by itself, demonstrate compliance with every regulatory requirement.
How are the GRI Standards organised?
The system comprises three complementary sets: Universal Standards, Sector Standards and Topic Standards. Universal Standards provide the common foundation. Sector Standards help assess impacts associated with a particular industry. Topic Standards address specific subjects.
| Set | Purpose | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Standards | Foundation, general disclosures and determination of material topics | The current basis is GRI 1, GRI 2 and GRI 3, all issued in 2021 |
| Sector Standards | Impacts likely to be material in a sector | Applicable sector standards and their effective dates |
| Topic Standards | Disclosures on specific topics | Select them based on material topics, rather than maximising the number of indicators |
The old GRI 101, 102 and 103 references should no longer be presented as the three current Universal Standards. Those numbers now also identify different standards, making the full title and version year essential.
Why does the version matter?
A number alone cannot identify a requirement. Record the full title, year and effective date. Reusing an old spreadsheet without these checks can produce a content index that does not match the claimed framework.
Apply the same care to translations and data collection tools. Internal templates may retain obsolete terminology even after a standard has been replaced.
Changes to know for 2026 and 2027
The 2021 Universal Standards, GRI 1, GRI 2 and GRI 3, have applied since 1 January 2023. They remain the starting point for the current system.
| Standard | Effective for publications from | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|
| GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 | 1 January 2026 | Assess the new biodiversity standard where biodiversity is material |
| GRI 102: Climate Change 2025 | 1 January 2027 | Prepare climate information and the version transition |
| GRI 103: Energy 2025 | 1 January 2027 | Prepare energy data and its connections with climate reporting |
These are GRI application dates under the standards' conditions. They do not impose an identical new legal obligation on every Swiss business on those dates.
For a report published around a transition, check the precise requirements and early-adoption provisions. Clearly identify the framework actually used. Avoid silently combining requirements from different versions.
Prepare data before publication
A revised standard may require new information. Identify those needs early instead of reconstructing data when the report is almost finished.
Create a transition table showing information already available, new data required, source, owner and deadline. The purpose is to assess the actual gap, rather than immediately claim unverified compliance.
How do you determine material topics?
GRI focuses on the organisation's impacts. Examine actual and potential impacts arising from its activities and business relationships, then identify the most significant ones under the framework.
Do not select topics merely because their numbers are easy to produce. A significant impact may occur at a supplier or affect a group that is barely visible in the financial data.
Start with activities and business relationships
Describe products, services, locations and major supply chains. Gather information on incidents, risks, complaints and existing practices. Engagement with affected stakeholders and specialists can support the assessment.
A service business and an industrial site will not necessarily have the same material impacts. Yet having no factory does not mean having no material topics: working conditions, privacy, purchasing and commercial relationships may still need attention.
Document decisions and limitations
Retain the methodology, participants, evidence and decisions. A list of topics without explanation does not show why some were included and others excluded.
Where data is insufficient, explain the uncertainty and planned work. Missing information is not proof that no impact exists.
Impact assessment differs from an analysis concerned only with financial effects on the company. Our article on IFRS S1, IFRS S2 and the ISSB explains that financial perspective.
How to prepare the reporting in practice
Define the organisational boundary and reporting period first. Then identify required information, responsible people and available evidence. Organise the process before drafting the narrative.
Create a data dictionary
For each indicator, record the unit, method, population covered, exclusions and source. Headcount on 31 December differs from average annual headcount. A count of individual employees is not the same as full-time equivalents.
For environmental data, distinguish physical quantities from financial amounts. Invoices can support the evidence, but expenditure in Swiss francs does not always translate directly into consumption or emissions.
Make the figures traceable
Someone who did not prepare a number should be able to understand its calculation. Keep source files, adjustments and approvals. Explain changes between versions.
For example, a business monitoring energy across three sites should specify whether the figures include common areas, rented premises and months without meter readings. Estimates may be needed, but should be identified and consistent.
Build the content index
The index connects required disclosures to the locations where the information is published. Link to specific content, rather than a website's home page.
Where the applicable rules permit an omission, disclose the reason and other required information. Lack of time should not become a generic excuse for omitting essential information.
Accounting records and their controls can support documentation discipline. However, responsibility for sustainability reporting extends beyond producing an accounting export.
When can a report claim compliance with GRI?
The statement “in accordance with the GRI Standards” requires compliance with the applicable GRI 1 requirements, including reporting principles, disclosures, material topics, the content index and prescribed formalities. A few isolated indicators are insufficient.
Reporting “with reference to the GRI Standards” is a different route for more limited use. It also has presentation requirements. Choose a statement that accurately reflects the work performed.
Is external assurance automatic?
No. Using GRI does not mean an independent third party has checked every data point. Where external verification or assurance exists, describe its scope, level and conclusions precisely.
Assurance over selected indicators cannot be presented as verification of the whole report. Likewise, a service relating to the content index is not certification of the organisation's sustainability performance.
GRI, Swiss requirements and other frameworks
The same data may support several reporting needs, but their objectives and requirements differ. Prepare a documented mapping instead of assuming automatic equivalence.
ISSB Standards focus on sustainability-related financial information useful to investors and other capital providers. The frameworks can complement each other, provided their definitions are not merged without explanation.
An SME starting out should describe limited reporting accurately instead of claiming full compliance without evidence. Corporate responsibility should remain connected to actions and decisions, beyond the production of a report.
Frequently asked questions about GRI
Is GRI an ESG rating?
No. GRI is an impact reporting framework. An ESG rating is an assessment using a particular methodology. Publishing a GRI report does not automatically produce a specific score.
Which Universal Standards currently apply?
GRI 1, GRI 2 and GRI 3, issued in 2021 and effective since January 2023. Do not reuse old descriptions of GRI 101, 102 and 103 as Universal Standards without checking the versions.
Did the biodiversity standard change in 2026?
GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 applies to reports or other materials published from 1 January 2026 under its provisions. Assess its use when biodiversity is a material topic.
Do the new climate and energy standards already apply in 2026?
Their stated effective date is for reports or other materials published from 1 January 2027. Check early-adoption and transition provisions. This standards deadline is different from a universal legal reporting obligation.
Can we use selected GRI indicators without a full report?
Yes, but describe the actual level of use and meet the requirements of the chosen reporting route. Selecting indicators does not automatically justify an “in accordance” claim.
