Watch the webinar replay here, or scroll down for a summary and a preview.
GRI (the Global Reporting Initiative) is a leading framework for sustainability reporting. In this webinar, we talked with Zip Water about working together to develop their first sustainability report, based on the GRI. Zip Water is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of instant solutions for boiling, chilled and sparkling water. The company is based in Australia.
Michael Spiteri, who ran Zip Water’s GRI reporting project, joined our Head of Communications, Kate Thompson for our final webinar for 2023. Kate explained the value of GRI reporting and how to keep a potentially huge report relevant, concise and engaging.
Michael talked about why Zip Water chose the GRI framework, how the company is using and promoting the report, and what the reporting team learned along the way.
In our webinar we learned:
Reporting is important if you want to make progress on sustainability
By setting out its sustainability goals and commitments in a public report, Zip Water is holding itself accountable. The company is also engaging with stakeholders who will help it act to make progress on its strategy (e.g. its team, customers, suppliers).
GRI is a leading framework for sustainability reporting
Zip Water chose GRI because this is one of the world’s most recognised reporting frameworks. GRI takes a standard approach, is comprehensive and uses common language to define impacts. It is based on six principles: balance, comparability, accuracy, timeliness, reliability and clarity.
GRI requires a materiality assessment
Zip Water engaged with its stakeholders to identify and prioritise the risks and opportunities (environmental, social and economic) that matter most to them. The company then focused its strategy and GRI report on these ‘material’ topics.
A GRI report can be a great read (not a doorstop!)
Use your materiality assessment to ‘corral’ your content. Make it engaging for your audiences by using plain English (simple, concise, personal language), strong design that guides readers through your report, and infographics that highlight the main points. Show your people with case studies, photos and quotes.
Promote your GRI report widely to enlist stakeholders’ support for your strategy
Zip Water is doing this on its website and LinkedIn, with an email banner and through newsletters. It is also using video to highlight the main points. Audiences are both internal and external.
Producing a GRI report is both rewarding and challenging
These are Michael’s tips: make sure you have your full business committed to the project. Involve the right people from the start, including marketing, human resources, communications, legal and your executives, Don’t underestimate the work involved. Always keep your audiences and customers top-of-mind and avoid getting stuck in the technical details.