Unlocking sustainability potential of the Japanese market
Published date: 23 January 2023
GRI and International Development Center of Japan launch partnership
A new sustainability advisory partnership seeks to support companies in Japan to raise the quality of their sustainability reporting, by delivering Japanese language services built around the methodology of the world’s most widely used standards for sustainability impacts – the GRI Standards.
The agreement between GRI and the International Development Center of Japan (IDCJ) will see the IDCJ deliver GRI content index services for Japanese sustainability reports. Companies can submit their reports to the IDCJ who will complete an assessment and offer feedback on how to improve and align the content index.
GRI reporting is already common practice by many organizations in Japan. Research from KPMG (October 2022) revealed 87% of the top 100 companies in Japan use the GRI Standards, with 75% undertaking external assurance of their reports. The full suite of the GRI Standards can be accessed in Japanese.
The content index is a key requirement for GRI sustainability reports because it enables stakeholders and users to easily access relevant information. At the global level, GRI delivers an English-language Content Index Service, however, this is the first time the offering is being provided in a local language.
At GRI we are always looking for ways to support sustainability reporters to improve their practice, raising the quality and useability of their reports. Each year we provide content index feedback to over 500 companies around the world. I am really pleased that, through this new partnership with IDCJ, we will be able to offer tailored support to companies that publish their reports in Japanese.”
John Knight, GRI Head of ServicesWe are honored that GRI is working with IDCJ as its sustainability advisory partner in Japan. The Japanese translation of the latest GRI Standards was released in October 2022, and use of the revised GRI Universal Standards has been mandatory since January 2023. The GRI Reporting Service will be helpful in preparing a GRI Content Index based on the updated version. We hope many Japanese companies will use this service.”
Hisaaki Mitsui, IDCJ SDGs Office Managerこのプレスリリースを日本語で読む (read this press release in Japanese).
GRI and IDCJ will participate in a webinar for UN Global Compact Network Japan (GCNJ) member companies, as an activity of the GCNJ's Reporting Study Subcommittee, at 16:00 JST on 8 February 2023. At the webinar, the updated GRI Universal Standards will be introduced and information shared on the new reporting services partnership for the Japanese market. GCNJ member companies using the GRI Standards are encouraged to attend.
International Development Center of Japan (IDCJ) is a think tank established in 1971 with the support of the Keidanren and other business circles of Japan. In 2018, IDCJ was accredited as a GRI Certified Training Partner and regularly conducts GRI Standards and other training courses. To date, 218 participants from 124 organizations have taken the courses.