GRI launches digital taxonomy to make sustainability reporting machine-readable

The Global Reporting Initiative ( GRI ) has launched the Sustainability Taxonomy, a version of the GRI standards organized in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) format, a global language for business reporting, so that they can be read, processed and analyzed automatically by a computer, without the need for human intervention. This tool allows for faster data collection and greater comparability of sustainability information.

The new GRI Sustainability Taxonomy enables companies to share their data in a computer-structured digital format, based on XBRL, and strengthens interoperability with other standards as it is designed to ensure a high level of alignment with the XBRL-based versions of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

The version covers all GRI standards (Universal, Sectoral and Thematic) and allows for digital submission of reports directly to GRI, or via an online form, offering flexibility to reporters regardless of their size or technical capacity. According to GRI, it “bridges the gap between the impacts declared and the people who must interpret and act on them by making it easier to assess the completeness and alignment of the information disclosed”.

“GRI’s new Sustainability Taxonomy represents a major advancement for digital sustainability reporting. By applying our XBRL language, GRI reporting can be structured in a fully digital way, enabling effective presentation, analysis, sharing and comparison of data. This Taxonomy increases the reliability and accessibility of information disclosed with the GRI Standards and is a milestone that we are proud to support,” said Cristina Gil White , Chief Engagement Officer of GRI.

For third-party service providers, GRI will provide a set of tools to facilitate the integration of the GRI Sustainability Taxonomy into existing reporting products, it said in a statement.

“These materials will provide practical support for digital reporting and help build a more transparent and data-driven sustainability landscape. Through the GRI Academy, the organization is developing training courses to support organizations in digital reporting,” added John Turner , CEO of XBRL International.