Largest-ever snapshot of sustainability reporting reveals Asia and Global South are becoming new center of gravity for impact disclosure
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New analysis finds that GRI is the most widely used sustainability disclosure standard, with GRI reporters accounting for 62% of global market capitalization.
The State of Sustainability Reporting: Global Trends in the GRI Standards 2025 draws on published reports from almost 15,000 listed companies across 132 jurisdictions – all those with revenue above USD 250 million – making it the most extensive study of its kind ever conducted.
The research emphasizes that, despite political pushback on the sustainability agenda in 2025, reporting practices are not in retreat. In fact, most companies disclose using multiple standards and frameworks, while the Global South is advancing more rapidly than mature markets in Europe and North America.
Key findings include:
- The GRI Standards are the world’s most widely used standards for sustainability reporting – used by 40% of all large listed companies, which represents 62% of global market capitalization.
- Sustainability reporting is a multi-framework practice: after GRI, companies referenced TCFD, SASB, CDP, ISSB, ESRS and TNFD.
- The emergence of newer disclosure expectations does not mean companies have moved away from GRI: 80% of companies using ISSB Standards, and 70% under the ESRS, also reference GRI.
- GRI's reach is genuinely global, used by companies headquartered in 107 jurisdictions worldwide, including 71% of market cap for the Global South. Capitalization share in markets such as the EU (64%), USA (57%) and UK (65%) remains significant, reflecting continued high GRI usage by larger companies.
- GRI reporting rates are led by jurisdictions in Asia and Latin America, with the highest levels including Taiwan (China) (95% of companies), Argentina (82%), Colombia (79%), Singapore (76%), Brazil (71%) and Malaysia (70%).
Commenting from London Climate Action Week, Robin Hodess, CEO of GRI, said:
“It is encouraging that the GRI Standards remain the primary choice for sustainability reporting by large listed companies worldwide. Companies reporting on impacts create value for their business, their stakeholders and society.
When it comes to reporting standards, it’s not an ‘either/or’ choice between financial and impact materiality. Rather, the two are complementary. What matters is that the reporting is coherent, credible and comparable – yielding valuable information that can drive action.”
Published by
GRI - Global Reporting Initiative
GRI - Global Reporting Initiative
