The Global Reporting Initiative has appointed Susanne Stormer as Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board, marking a leadership transition at a time when sustainability reporting is becoming more central to corporate governance and regulatory compliance worldwide. The Global Sustainability Standards Board serves as the independent body responsible for setting and maintaining the GRI Standards, which are widely used by companies to disclose sustainability impacts in a consistent and comparable manner.

GRI Standards are among the most commonly adopted global frameworks for sustainability reporting. They are designed to support organizations across sectors in communicating material impacts on the economy, society, and the environment, while meeting the information needs of investors, regulators, employees, and other stakeholders. As expectations for credible and decision-useful sustainability disclosures continue to rise, the role of the standards-setting body has become increasingly influential.

 

The Role of the Global Sustainability Standards Board

 

Established by GRI in 2015, the Global Sustainability Standards Board operates as an independent entity with sole responsibility for the development and oversight of GRI sustainability standards. The standards themselves were formally launched in 2016 and have since evolved alongside the broader sustainability reporting landscape, including growing alignment with regulatory frameworks and assurance expectations.

As Chair, Stormer will guide the board’s strategic direction and oversee the continued development of standards that respond to emerging sustainability risks, stakeholder demands, and policy developments. Her appointment signals continuity with GRI’s long-standing focus on impact-based reporting, while also reflecting the increasing professionalisation and integration of sustainability disclosures into mainstream corporate reporting.

 

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Deep Experience Across Reporting, Assurance, and Corporate Practice

 

Stormer brings decades of experience across sustainability reporting, corporate leadership, and standards development. She currently serves as Leader in Residence at Copenhagen Business School, where her work focuses on corporate sustainability and leadership. Prior to this role, she spent four years at PwC Denmark as Sustainability Services Leader, advising organizations on sustainability strategy, reporting, and assurance.

Earlier in her career, Stormer was Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at Novo Nordisk, where she played a central role in integrating sustainability reporting into the company’s Annual Report. Her broader contributions to the reporting ecosystem include serving on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards Project Task Force at EFRAG, acting as a board member of the SASB Standards Board, and being a founding member of the International Integrated Reporting Council.

 

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Shaping the Next Phase of Sustainability Reporting

 

In commenting on her appointment, Stormer highlighted her long-standing involvement with the evolution of GRI Standards and expressed a clear commitment to strengthening organizational accountability for impacts on people, the planet, and the economy. She emphasized the opportunity to build on GRI’s established leadership position and to help shape the future of sustainability reporting at a moment when expectations around transparency and comparability are accelerating globally.

Her appointment comes as companies face growing pressure to align voluntary sustainability reporting with regulatory frameworks such as the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, while maintaining global consistency. Under Stormer’s leadership, the Global Sustainability Standards Board is expected to play a key role in navigating this increasingly complex reporting landscape, reinforcing the relevance of GRI Standards as a foundational framework for impact-focused disclosure.