The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), one of the leading organizations promoting standardized ESG reporting, announced today the appointment of Eelco van der Enden as CEO.

Van der Enden has been a member of GRI’s board of directors since 2020, and takes on the organization’s CEO role after 14 years at global professional services company PwC, where he most recently served as the firm’s global ESG Tax & Legal Services platform leader. Starting in his new role in January 2022, he brings more than 20 years of experience in financial and sustainability senior management roles.

Nadja Picard, PwC Global Reporting Leader, said:

“Eelco has always been passionate about broader corporate reporting and the responsibility business has to the planet and society – a passion he has successfully communicated both within PwC and to our clients and stakeholders.”

GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are the most commonly accepted global standards for sustainability reporting by companies, developed to enable consistent reporting across companies and industries, providing clearer communication to stakeholders regarding sustainability matters. The standards are available for reporting across a wide range of ESG-related topics, ranging from anti-corruption practices to biodiversity and emissions.

The leadership transition and GRI is taking place following the launch earlier this month by the organization of a major update to its sustainability reporting standards, incorporating human rights disclosures and applying a due diligence approach addressing the major sustainability risk areas.

Eric Hespenheide, Chair of GRI, said:

“With corporate transparency on the global agenda like never before, Eelco brings the expertise and energy we need to deliver our robust independent standards and accelerate our engagement with partners around the world. I believe he will help GRI build on its position of strength, as provider of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting standards, while enabling us to increase our relevance with stakeholders around the world.”

van der Enden, said:

“I am hugely excited by the opportunities open to GRI and look forward to leading the organization into the next stage of their growth. Around the world, we are seeing increased demands for businesses to be accountable for their impacts – by all stakeholders, from regulators and shareholders all the way to consumers and future employees. That accountability cannot be achieved without the comprehensive sustainability disclosure that is achieved through the adoption of the GRI Standards.”