 The Four Leaf system is based on the environmental indicators of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), of which our company first joined in 2008 as an organisational stakeholder. This Netherlands’ based, global organisation pioneered sustainability indicators which are now the world’s most widely utilised framework for reporting economic, social and environmental performance. Over 1500 companies including leading global brands have adopted the guidelines. The latest Guidelines – G3 are considered the de facto global standard. Such is the strength of GRI that it collaborates with the United Nations Environment Programme. To date, Barclays Bank, Rabobank, Royal Dutch Shell, Ford, Vodafone, Johnson and Johnson, Wesfarmers, Unilever and the Australian Government have all produced sustainability reports utilising or referencing the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Many other companies rely on GRI guidelines within their sustainability reports whilst not formally adopting the system. In a 2006 Australian study,1 over 50% of surveyed companies utilized GRI in this manner.  GRI was the only framework detailed in the UK Chatham Report that was specifically named by DEFRA in its document outline reporting guidelines for KPI’s.2 The 2003 publication of 'Triple Bottom Line reporting in Australia'3 signaled that the Australian Government was adopting GRI guidelines, with subsequent recommended environmental management indictors cross referenced to the corresponding GRI item. Ongoing Federal support of GRI was confirmed by Senator Nick Sherry in April 2009. Utilising GRI guidelines has the secondary effect of encouraging uptake of sustainability reporting in this format. Companies who complete the Four Leaf system have only to provide a Profile disclosure and respond to one economic and one social indicator to become accredited as a C Self Declared GRI Report. Four Leaf is a registered organisational Stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and supports the mission of the GRI to develop globally accepted sustainability reporting guidelines through a global, multi-stakeholder process. Further detailed information can be found at www.globalreporting.org
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