Certified GRI Standards Training Course

No — they're two different things, both issued by GRI. One is about substance (what you actually know and can do), the other is about formal recognition (an exam and a directory listing). Most working reporters need the first; some also want the second.

• What this LRA course gives you — substance: the GRI Standards Certified Training Course — Certificate of Completion, issued by GRI Academy with GRI's Director of Education's signature and a unique certificate number. It covers the foundational knowledge actually used in reporting day-to-day — Universal Standards, material topic methodology, in-accordance application, the disclosure cycle, stakeholder engagement. This is the credential employers and sustainability teams look for when they hire trained GRI reporters — and it's backed by the world's most widely used sustainability-reporting framework.
• The "GRI Certified Sustainability Professional" title — formal recognition: a separate, higher-tier credential that requires (1) completing all four modules of the GRI Professional Certification Program, and (2) passing a 40-question exam (60-minute limit, 75% pass mark). Key point: it's not new knowledge — it's the same foundational material plus three further modules and a formal exam. You get an additional directory listing on GRI's website. The title is valid for one year and renewable through Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

In short: our course gives you the practitioner substance — the knowledge employers care about and that you'll actually use in reporting work. The "Certified Sustainability Professional" title sits on top as formal recognition — useful if you want a GRI directory listing, exam-based validation, or a CV credential to clear HR filters. Most LRA learners stop at the Certificate of Completion because it covers what real reporting work needs. If you want the Professional title afterwards, you can complete the remaining three modules through GRI Academy at your own pace — we're happy to advise on sequencing.

Both routes are valid — they're the same official GRI module, the same official curriculum, and the same GRI-issued certificate. The difference is how you learn it.

GRI's own programme literature lists the benefits of going through a Certified Training Partner (Route B): access to a trainer, deeper knowledge, peer-to-peer learning, networking opportunities, and local context. Self-paced eLearning doesn't give you any of those — you click through modules alone, on your own time.

On top of GRI's standard partner benefits, this LRA delivery adds practical depth that's hard to get elsewhere:

• Senior practitioner-trainer. The course is led by Dr. Ross Kurinko — GRI Certified Global Trainer, PhD, Cambridge, 15+ years on FTSE 100 and Fortune Global 500 sustainability disclosures. You ask a real reporting question, you get a real practitioner's answer in the room.
• Real case material, not slide theory. The course draws on 200+ live disclosure projects across sectors that Dr. Kurinko has personally advised on. Examples are shown end-to-end (KPIs, narrative, disclosure mapping, peer comparison), not just summarised.
• Cross-framework coverage you won't find in the standard GRI module. A dedicated session on GRI ↔ ESRS (CSRD) ↔ IFRS S1 / S2 interoperability — where the frameworks overlap, where they diverge, how to re-use evidence. Crucial because almost no real reporter operates against only one framework.
• Live Q&A on your reporting context. Bring your actual reporting cycle (CSRD wave, GRI in-accordance application, materiality update). Get framework guidance on the specifics of your case — not generic eLearning content.
• Direct trainer follow-up. Email access to Dr. Kurinko after the two days for follow-up questions on your reporting context — not just a knowledge-base FAQ.
• Bundle path forward. If you want to extend coverage to EU CSRD or the ISSB global baseline, GRI Certified Training is included inside the LRA ESRS or IFRS S1 / S2 programme — free on 1:1 Expert Mentorship and Applied Practice, or at a reduced rate inside Guided Flex / Live Cohort. See the bundle pricing in the Fees section above.

If you're a busy practitioner who wants the credential and is also doing real reporting work, the trainer-led + cross-framework format pays for itself quickly. If you only want to tick the GRI Standards box at the lowest possible cost, GRI's self-paced eLearning at GRI Academy is the lighter option.

No — there's no obligation. The Certificate of Completion from this course is a complete, recognised GRI credential on its own. Many of our learners stop here — for most reporting work it's exactly what's needed. The substance (knowledge actually used in reporting) is fully covered in Module 1; the remaining three modules and the exam add formal recognition, not new core skills.

If you do want the full GRI Certified Sustainability Professional title (for a GRI directory listing or exam-based validation):

1. Complete this course (Module 1 — Reporting with the GRI Standards) — done with us.
2. Complete Module 2 — Reporting on Human Rights with the GRI Standards — self-paced via GRI Academy.
3. Complete Module 3 — Navigating the GRI Sector Standards — self-paced via GRI Academy.
4. Complete Module 4 — Transparency for Tomorrow: Decoding the Sustainability Reporting Landscape — self-paced via GRI Academy.
5. Pass the certification exam — 40 questions, 60-minute limit, 75% pass mark. Run by GRI Academy.

On passing, GRI lists you in their Certified Sustainability Professional directory. The title is valid for one year and renewable through Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

We're happy to guide you through the sequencing, exam preparation and CEU planning — it's part of the post-course email follow-up. Just ask.

Yes — and that's precisely why this course covers all three frameworks together, not GRI in isolation.

ESRS heavily references GRI in its disclosure logic — large parts of what ESRS now requires were first codified in GRI. If you're doing CSRD reporting, working knowledge of GRI massively shortcuts evidence reuse, disclosure mapping and stakeholder narrative. IFRS S1 / S2 complement GRI on the investor-grade financial-materiality side, where GRI deliberately doesn't go. Practitioners typically use two or three frameworks together: GRI for breadth and stakeholder disclosure, ESRS for EU compliance, IFRS S1/S2 for capital-markets disclosure.

This course includes a dedicated session on GRI ↔ ESRS ↔ IFRS S1/S2 interoperability — content you won't find in the standard self-paced GRI module. You leave understanding exactly where the frameworks overlap, where they diverge, and how to design one reporting workflow that feeds all three.

If you want full standalone coverage of ESRS or IFRS S1/S2 alongside GRI, GRI Certified Training is included inside the Certified ESRS (CSRD) course and the Certified IFRS S1 & S2 (ISSB) course — free on 1:1 Expert Mentorship / Applied Practice routes, or at a reduced rate inside Guided Flex / Live Cohort. See the bundle pricing in the Fees section above.

Yes. London Reporting Academy is an official GRI Certified Training Partner, licensed by the Global Reporting Initiative to deliver the GRI Standards Certified Training programme using the complete official GRI materials. The certificate you receive on completion is issued by GRI, not by LRA — and is recognised by GRI worldwide.

How you receive it: as part of your enrolment, we set up a personal account for you on GRI Academy — GRI's own learning platform. After the two days, your Certificate of Completion appears in your GRI Academy account, where you can download it as a PDF, see your unique certificate number, and verify it through GRI's own register. The certificate is signed by GRI's Director of Education — same as for learners who take the course directly through GRI Academy.

And it keeps working for you: your GRI Academy account stays open. If you decide to continue with Modules 2–4 of the GRI Professional Certification Program (Human Rights / Sector Standards / Transparency for Tomorrow) and the certification exam, you do it from the same account — no separate enrolment, no losing your progress on Module 1.

Yes — all three layers. The course covers:

• Universal Standards: GRI 1 Foundation 2021 · GRI 2 General Disclosures 2021 · GRI 3 Material Topics 2021.
• Sector Standards: sector-specific GRI disclosures and how to apply them.
• Topic Standards: environmental, social and economic topic-level GRI disclosures.

Delivered across 5 modules / 12 academic hours / 2 days, with applied disclosure exercises throughout. Direct trainer follow-up after the course keeps you supported on subsequent GRI updates.

The certificate is issued by GRI, not by LRA. LRA delivers the course under official GRI Certified Training Partner licence; GRI awards the credential.

It is one step on the GRI Certified Sustainability Professional pathway and is recognised by GRI worldwide.

No. The course starts from sustainability-reporting fundamentals and builds towards applied GRI work. Module 01 (Introduction) and Module 02 (Overview of the GRI Standards) set the conceptual frame before any standard-by-standard work begins.

Practitioners with existing GRI familiarity get a structured refresh of the 2021 Standards and the in-accordance requirements — plus the LRA-specific applied work, live worked examples and direct trainer follow-up that go beyond the standard self-paced curriculum.

As an official GRI Certified Training Partner, LRA delivers the GRI Standards Certified Training Course using the standard licensed slide deck and the official participant leaflet issued by GRI. Both are provided to every participant as part of your enrolment.

On top of the official GRI materials, the two days include live worked examples drawn from real disclosure projects — KPIs, narrative, disclosure mapping, peer comparison — and direct trainer Q&A on your specific reporting context.

The three frameworks are complementary, not duplicative. GRI is the world's most widely used voluntary sustainability reporting framework, covering material impacts on the economy, the environment and people — and the basis of much of what ESRS now codifies. ESRS is the EU-mandated framework under the CSRD, with mandatory disclosure for in-scope EU and EU-trading companies. IFRS S1 / S2 (ISSB) is the global investor-grade baseline for sustainability and climate disclosure, used by capital markets worldwide.

Many reporters use two or three together: GRI for stakeholders and breadth, ESRS for EU compliance, IFRS S1/S2 for investor disclosure. This course includes a complementary session on GRI–ESRS–IFRS S1/S2 interoperability so you understand exactly where the frameworks overlap, where they diverge, and how to reuse evidence across all three.

A bundle is when you enrol on a full Certified ESRS (CSRD) or Certified IFRS S1 & S2 (ISSB) programme and GRI Standards Certified Training comes with it. GRI doesn't have a bundle of its own — its standalone routes are £700 online / £1,200 on-site. The bundle is how GRI is included inside a wider framework programme: from £950 + VAT for Guided Flex bundles, from £1,150 for Live Cohort bundles.

On 1:1 Expert Mentorship and Applied Practice routes, GRI is included free — no separate bundle, it's part of the package. Buy ESRS Mentorship or IFRS Mentorship directly to access this route.

Why is GRI included at a discount? Because this is how LRA works — pay less, get more. The practitioner reality is that almost no one reports against just one framework. If you're working on EU reporting under CSRD, you'll also touch GRI structure and IFRS S1/S2 investor disclosure. We'd rather you build the multi-framework muscle in one shot than buy the same content twice — so when you enrol on the framework programme, GRI Certified Training is added in free (Mentorship / Applied Practice) or at a reduced rate (Guided Flex / Live Cohort). The interoperability content is shared between the two days, and you leave with a credible end-to-end picture instead of a single isolated standard.

It's the same logic across our catalogue. Full Stack bundles all three frameworks plus the complete reporter foundation for less than buying them separately — GRI Certified Training is included on every Full Stack route. The LRA Alumni Club gives engaged-format graduates 30% off every future LRA course — for life. Maximum value for the minimum spend is a brand commitment, not a one-off promotion.

What you get with a bundle: two credentials (LRA-issued ESRS or IFRS certificate + GRI-issued GRI Standards certificate); 12 months of Studio platform access for your framework course curriculum; a live two-day GRI training with Dr. Kurinko, delivered via Zoom (Online) or at our Canary Wharf venue (On-Site); peer comparison opportunities; and on engaged formats (Live Cohort, 1:1 Expert Mentorship, Applied Practice or Deep Review for the framework course) — automatic membership in the LRA Alumni Club (30% off any future LRA course, for life).

One click to checkout. Each bundle option in the fees section has its own Enrol on ESRS (GRI included) → or Enrol on IFRS (GRI included) → button — Guided Flex or Live Cohort, with GRI Certified Training bundled in. The button takes you straight to a Stripe-secured checkout for that specific combination, with the bundle price already applied. Pay by card and you're enrolled — no email back-and-forth, no waiting on a quote.

What happens after you pay. Your framework course (ESRS or IFRS) goes live in your Studio account immediately — full curriculum, materials, mentor (where applicable) for 12 months. For the GRI training day, you'll receive Zoom details (Online route) or the Canary Wharf venue address (On-Site route) for your scheduled day, plus a personal GRI Academy account where your GRI-issued Certificate of Completion will appear after the two days.

Invoicing & VAT. Stripe automatically issues a VAT-compliant invoice / receipt with every payment — useful for company expense or procurement records. No need to email us for one.

Important — bundle pricing is route-specific. The bundle price is only available through these dedicated buttons. If you've already enrolled on ESRS or IFRS standalone separately, GRI cannot be retroactively added at the bundle rate — the bundle is structured as a single combined product. Email lra@reporting.academy for unusual cases (Corporate Programme, alumni-discount eligible, custom multi-course combo) — we'll work it out.

Dr. Ross Kurinko — GRI Certified Global Trainer, PhD, University of Cambridge, 15+ years on FTSE 100 and Fortune Global 500 disclosures — leads the two days live (or a senior LRA trainer, subject to availability for specific intakes).

Both Online and On-Site routes are fully live — Online is delivered via Zoom in real time, On-Site at our Canary Wharf, London venue. The training is not pre-recorded.

Yes — through the Corporate Programme. For teams of six or more we deliver bespoke GRI programmes on-site at your office in the UK, EU, EMEA or further afield. Pricing on request.

Email lra@reporting.academy or use the corporate training form to discuss a programme for your team.

Take the Full Stack programme if this is your first reporting cycle — your company is doing CSRD, climate or sustainability reporting for the first time. Even if GRI looks like a "narrow" framework on paper, a first-time reporter needs more mentor time, broader context and the full reporter foundation. A single standalone course will leave gaps you'll only spot under deadline.

Also take Full Stack if you're new to sustainability reporting in general, or you're tackling a multi-framework programme (EU + global + jurisdictional) and want one enrolment that holds it all together — with four certificates and read-mode access to every other LRA course.

Take this standalone course if you've already delivered at least one reporting cycle and now want to build credentialled GRI Standards foundation — the world's most-used sustainability-reporting framework. You know the territory — you just want the focused practitioner mentorship on this specific standard.

Or take this standalone course if you have a functional background (finance, audit, risk, strategy, IR) and want to layer this reporting profile on top of it — e.g. an early-career or functional professional (CSR, communications, EHS, HR) who needs the foundational GRI framework. Your functional anchor gives you the structure a standalone course assumes.

Full Stack starts higher (from £999 Guided Flex, up to £3,495 Deep Review) than this standalone course (from £700 online, up to £1,200 on-site London) but includes four certificates — Full Stack diploma + ESRS + IFRS S1/S2 + official GRI Standards Certified — plus read-mode access to every other LRA course. See the Full Stack programme page for the full picture. Either way, completing on a Live Cohort, 1:1, Applied Practice or Deep Review route makes you a member of the LRA Alumni Club — 30% off any future LRA course — for life (Guided Flex routes don't unlock Club membership).