Ernest Abano

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in the UK's Construction Industry

Ernest Abano

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in the UK's Construction Industry

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a multi-stakeholder process and independent institution whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The Guidelines represent the foundation upon which all other GRI reporting documents are based, and outline core content that is broadly relevant to all organizations regardless of size, sector, or location. These Guidelines are for voluntary use by organizations for reporting on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of their activities, products, and services. GRI Started in 1997, became independent in 2002, and is now an official collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and works in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Global Compact

The dissertation tries to look at the relevance of the GRI in the UK’s construction sector. As part of that, the paper would find out what elements are not covered at all in the GRI sustainability reporting guidelines but are relevant to the construction sector.

To help the research, the dissertation critically analysed a number of construction companies’ sustainability reports and compare it with the GRI guidelines/performance indicators. This is to fish out what elements are not covered at all and indeed these elements are most important to the sector. The paper tries also to understand why most construction companies do not report on sustainability even though there are suites of available reporting guidelines. The extent to which companies have used the available suites of reporting guidelines and the effectiveness of sustainability reporting process have also been investigated.

In the first chapter of the project, the general principles of sustainability reporting are presented. In the second chapter, a detailed sustainability performance indicators proposed by some construction institutions were presented. The third chapter describes the main attributes of the construction industry regarding sustainability. The fourth and fifth chapters present the study methodology and discussion of survey data. The final chapter recommends the sustainability reporting guidelines and performance indicators that can be used by the construction industry when reporting on company’s activities, products and services.

The intention of this dissertation is to examine the relevance of GRI sustainability reporting guidelines to the UK’s construction industry and understand why most construction companies do not report on sustainability even though there are suites of available reporting guidelines. The extent to which companies have used the available suites of reporting guidelines and the effectiveness of sustainability reporting process would be investigated. The expected outcome of this dissertation is to recommend GRI sustainability reporting sector supplements for the construction industry.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a multi-stakeholder process and independent institution whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The Guidelines represent the foundation upon which all other GRI reporting documents are based, and outline core content that is broadly relevant to all organizations regardless of size, sector, or location. These Guidelines are for voluntary use by organizations for reporting on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of their activities, products, and services. GRI Started in 1997, became independent in 2002, and is now an official collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and works in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Global Compact

The dissertation tries to look at the relevance of the GRI in the UK’s construction sector. As part of that, the paper would find out what elements are not covered at all in the GRI sustainability reporting guidelines but are relevant to the construction sector.

To help the research, the dissertation critically analysed a number of construction companies’ sustainability reports and compare it with the GRI guidelines/performance indicators. This is to fish out what elements are not covered at all and indeed these elements are most important to the sector. The paper tries also to understand why most construction companies do not report on sustainability even though there are suites of available reporting guidelines. The extent to which companies have used the available suites of reporting guidelines and the effectiveness of sustainability reporting process have also been investigated.

In the first chapter of the project, the general principles of sustainability reporting are presented. In the second chapter, a detailed sustainability performance indicators proposed by some construction institutions were presented. The third chapter describes the main attributes of the construction industry regarding sustainability. The fourth and fifth chapters present the study methodology and discussion of survey data. The final chapter recommends the sustainability reporting guidelines and performance indicators that can be used by the construction industry when reporting on company’s activities, products and services.

The intention of this dissertation is to examine the relevance of GRI sustainability reporting guidelines to the UK’s construction industry and understand why most construction companies do not report on sustainability even though there are suites of available reporting guidelines. The extent to which companies have used the available suites of reporting guidelines and the effectiveness of sustainability reporting process would be investigated. The expected outcome of this dissertation is to recommend GRI sustainability reporting sector supplements for the construction industry.