Bridging the Gap in Sustainability Reporting Standards: An Applied Extension of “A Systematic Comparison of Sustainability Reporting Standards”

Abstract

Organizations face growing pressure to produce credible sustainability disclosures while navigating a fragmented reporting landscape. Although the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Integrated Reporting (IR), and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards are widely used, they embody different approaches to accountability, legitimacy, materiality, and stakeholder orientation. Building on a prior systematic comparison, this brief offers a practical framework for selecting and implementing sustainability reporting standards. Selecting among these standards is therefore a governance decision that reflects whose interests an organization prioritizes. The framework considers five factors: primary stakeholders; desired legitimacy and transparency; industry disclosure expectations; geographic and regulatory context; and implementation capacity and resources. It links GRI to broad stakeholder accountability, SASB to investor-focused and industry-specific disclosure, and IR to strategic integration and long-term value creation. This brief offers practical guidance to managers and sustainability professionals seeking to align sustainability reporting with organizational strategy and meet evolving ESG disclosure expectations.