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GRI 201: Economic Performance 2016 · Topic Standard · Cross-sectoral
Disclosure GRI 201-2

Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change

Practical guidance for preparing this disclosure. Use this card to identify datapoints, verify claims and organise supporting evidence. For exact requirements, always refer to the official GRI source.

Dr Ross Kurinko, GRI Certified Trainer
Reviewed by Dr Ross Kurinko · GRI Certified Trainer LRA educational guidance · Not issued or endorsed by GRI
Disclosure focus

This disclosure asks an organisation to explain how climate change could affect its finances and wider business position, and what that means in practice. The focus is on identifying the main risks and opportunities, describing their likely effects, and showing how the organisation has assessed them rather than simply stating that climate change is relevant.

In practical terms, the reporting should look across the organisation’s activities, not just a few headline sites or projects. The useful question is whether the assessment covers the parts of the business that could be materially affected, and whether it reflects both downside risks and any potential opportunities, with enough detail for a reader to understand the scale and nature of the impact.

* This LRA educational guidance supports disclosure preparation. For the exact requirements, always refer to the official GRI source.

Before you start

A quick mental checklist before you prepare this disclosure — tick each as you settle it.

Preparation
Key datapoints to prepare
DatapointWhat to captureEvidence hintOwner
Financial modelling systemWhether a process or tool exists that can turn the climate issue into money terms, including cost estimates or revenue forecasts.Model documentation, calculation workbook, system screenshots, or finance methodology note.Finance
Model build planThe plan and timetable for putting in place the system that will calculate costs or revenue effects, including key milestones and delivery dates.Project plan, implementation roadmap, budget approval, or IT/finance delivery tracker.Finance
Climate financial exposureThe money value of climate-related risks and opportunities that could materially change operations, turnover, or spending.Risk register, scenario analysis, business case, or finance impact assessment.Risk
Risk type and descriptionA plain description of the issue and whether it is a physical, regulatory, or other type of climate-related risk or opportunity.Risk register entry, taxonomy mapping, or assessment note showing the classification used.Risk
Business impact descriptionA description of how the risk or opportunity affects the business in practice, such as operations, sales, costs, or assets.Impact assessment, scenario analysis output, or risk committee paper.Risk
Pre-action financial effectThe expected financial effect before any response or mitigation is applied, stated separately from the effect after action.Baseline scenario, sensitivity analysis, or finance memo showing gross impact before mitigation.Finance
Risk response methodsThe methods the organisation uses to deal with the risk or opportunity, such as avoidance, reduction, transfer, adaptation, or other response measures.Risk treatment plan, control register, adaptation plan, or management action log.Risk
Response costsThe money spent on the actions used to manage the risk or opportunity, with the relevant period and scope clearly identified.Capex/opex records, project spend report, purchase orders, or cost centre extracts.Finance
Show GRI 201-2 sub-elements (LRA working checklist)
  • Set out the spend needed to deal with the risk or opportunity.
  • Explain what effect it has on the business.
  • State what it is and whether it is physical, regulatory, or another type.
  • Set out the expected financial effect before any response is applied.
  • Confirm whether you already have a way to estimate the financial effect or the related costs, or to forecast income.
  • Describe the approach used to handle it.
  • If the calculation or forecasting system is not yet in place, give the plan and timetable for building it.
  • Identify climate-related risks and opportunities that could materially change operations, turnover, or spending.

LRA working checklist - paraphrased; see official source

How to prepare
  1. Set the reporting boundary first. Decide which business units, sites, time periods and climate-related matters you will include, so the same scope is used for every figure and narrative in this disclosure.
  2. Agree the definitions you will use for each item. Make clear what counts as a climate-related risk or opportunity, how you will classify it, and what you will treat as the related impact, before-action financial effect, response method and action cost.
  3. Gather the source material behind each entry. Pull together finance papers, risk registers, project files, budgets, forecasts and management papers that support the amounts, descriptions and classifications you plan to report.
  4. Build the disclosure from the evidence. Provide the required amounts where a number is needed, and write concise supporting text for the nature of the issue, the effect on the business, the pre-action financial effect and the way it is being managed.
  5. Record any gaps, exclusions or changes in approach. If you are not yet able to calculate the financial effect or revenue outlook, note the development plan and timing, and explain any boundary or method changes so the reader can follow the basis of preparation.
  6. Check the final draft against the source material. Confirm that each required item is covered, the figures tie back to evidence, the wording matches the underlying records, and the completed disclosure aligns with the official reporting source before sign-off.
Want to do this on a real report? Practise GRI social disclosures live with Dr. Kurinko — GRI Standards Certified Training. Explore →
Request climate-risk financial evidence from Finance

Translate the disclosure into an internal business question — then adapt it to your organisation's own language.

What climate-related risks or opportunities could change our costs, income, or operations, and what evidence do we have for the amounts, assumptions, and actions behind them?

Use your team’s own labels first, then map them to the disclosure. For example, if you track this through budget, forecast, scenario, capex, opex, or risk registers, keep those internal terms in the request and only translate them afterwards for reporting.

Weak request

Please provide the climate change disclosure data for GRI 201-2, including all financial implications, risks, opportunities, and management actions.

Why it fails: It uses framework language instead of the organisation’s own finance terms, so the owner has to translate the ask before they can respond. It also does not say which systems, periods, boundaries, assumptions, or evidence files to pull, so the response is likely to be incomplete or inconsistent.
Better request

Please send the latest finance pack, risk register entries, and any scenario or investment files for climate-linked items that could change costs, revenue, capex, or opex in [period] for [boundary]. Include the internal label, amount before and after action if tracked, assumptions, action taken, action cost, and the source file or extract.

Formal email template
Subject: Request for climate-related financial evidence for [reporting period]

Dear [name/team],

We are preparing the sustainability reporting pack and need your help with the climate-related financial evidence for [business area / entity]. Please share the figures and supporting notes for any climate-linked risks or opportunities that could affect costs, revenue, capex, opex, or other financial lines.

Please include:
- the relevant internal category name(s)
- the financial amount(s) and whether they are before or after any action taken
- the main assumptions used
- the method or action used to manage the item
- the cost of any action already taken
- the source file or system extract
- the period and boundary covered
- the name of the person who prepared and checked the information

If you already track this in a budget, forecast, risk, or investment file, please send the latest version and a short note explaining how it should be read. Please use your own internal terms first, then we will map them for reporting. This is a possible LRA training template only; please adapt it to your organisation and check the official source before sign-off.

Many thanks,
[preparer name]
Short Teams / Slack version
Hi [name/team] — could you send the latest climate-related finance evidence for [business area/entity]?

We need the amounts, assumptions, actions taken, and any source file for items that could affect costs, revenue, capex, opex, or other lines. Please use your internal labels and include the period, boundary, and owner/checker. Thanks — [preparer name]. This is a possible LRA training template only; please adapt it to your organisation and check the official source before sign-off.
Industry examples
Manufacturing

Context. A plant team tracks weather disruption, energy price exposure, and retrofit projects in separate files.

Adapted request. Please share the latest plant-level files for climate-linked items that could affect production cost, downtime, maintenance spend, or sales at [site] for [period]. Include the internal risk name, estimated financial effect, assumptions, mitigation action, and the cost of any retrofit or resilience work already approved.

Example response. The team returns a capex tracker, a maintenance risk log, and a short note showing that heat-related downtime is tracked as an operational risk, with estimated cost impact, assumptions on lost output, and the spend already committed to cooling upgrades.

Retail / Consumer

Context. A trading and property finance team monitors flood exposure, store closures, insurance changes, and demand shifts.

Adapted request. Please send the latest trading and property finance evidence for climate-linked items that could change rent, repairs, insurance, stock loss, or sales at [region / estate] for [period]. Use your internal labels and include the forecast impact, the action taken, and any cost already incurred for resilience or relocation work.

Example response. The team provides a forecast workbook, an insurance renewal summary, and a property risk note showing flood exposure by store cluster, estimated revenue at risk, and the cost of drainage and fit-out works already completed.

The full request pack — response form, data table, evidence metadata and sign-off — is in the Download Centre.

Draft your disclosure

LRA training templates — adapt them to your organisation, and check the official source before sign-off.

Method note

Describe the basis used to identify climate-related matters, how you distinguish physical, regulatory and other business drivers, and how you estimate the related financial effects and response costs.

Context note

Explain what the figures mean for the business by linking each climate-related matter to the part of the organisation it could affect, the scale of the possible effect, and the actions already taken or planned.

Fluctuation statement

If the numbers move materially, note whether this is due to new issues being identified, changes in the estimated size of the effect, progress in building the assessment process, or different response costs.

Content index entry

GRI 201-2 Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change — [location / page] / [notes]

Assurance readiness
For each claim, check the evidence
ClaimRiskEvidence to check
We have a documented method for turning the disclosed risk or opportunity into a monetary estimate or revenue view, and we can show how that method was applied.The assurer may find that the figure was based on judgement alone, with no repeatable calculation approach or no clear link between the method and the published number.Method note or model description; calculation files; assumptions log; source data; version history; reviewer sign-off showing the method was used consistently.
Where we are still building the calculation approach, we have a dated plan that sets out what will be developed, by whom, and when.The assurer may conclude that the plan is vague, not approved, or not realistic, so the reported readiness is overstated.Project plan or roadmap; milestones and target dates; ownership assignments; steering or management approvals; progress updates against the plan.
We identified the climate-related matters we believe could materially affect our operations, income, or spending, and we kept the basis for that judgement on file.The assurer may challenge whether the selected matters were complete, relevant, or assessed using a consistent threshold.Risk register; materiality or significance assessment; workshop notes; scenario or risk assessment outputs; management review records.
For each matter we disclosed, we recorded what type of issue it is and kept a short explanation of why we placed it in that category.The assurer may find the classification inconsistent, unsupported, or applied differently across similar items.Classification matrix; narrative write-ups; internal guidance used for categorisation; cross-checks between similar risks or opportunities; reviewer comments.
We documented the expected effect on the business for each item, using the same basis across the set of disclosures.The assurer may see that impacts were described qualitatively in some places and quantitatively in others without a clear rationale, or that the impact statement does not match the underlying evidence.Impact assessment papers; supporting analysis; links between the narrative and source data; internal challenge notes; consistency check against the risk register.
Before any response or mitigation was applied, we estimated the likely financial effect and kept the working papers behind that estimate.The assurer may question whether the estimate reflects the position before action, whether the assumptions are reasonable, or whether the calculation is traceable.Pre-action estimate model; assumptions and sensitivities; source data; dated working papers; evidence showing the estimate predates mitigation effects.
Evidence pack to prepare
  • The governing policy or written commitment behind this disclosure
  • A methodology / definition note setting out how the disclosure was scoped and prepared
  • Source-system exports the figures or facts were drawn from
  • The internal approval / sign-off record for the disclosure before publication
  • Minutes or records evidencing the relevant engagement or consultation
Common reporting gaps
  • Figures are stated without the supporting narrative, or narrative without figures.
  • Scope is inconsistent between the text and the numbers.
  • The reporting boundary is left undefined.
  • Material changes since the previous period are not disclosed.
  • Estimates and measured values are not distinguished.
  • Source records for the figures are not identified.
Examples
Illustrative examples

Synthetic, written by LRA — not from a company report, not text from any standard.

Manufacturing · synthetic · written by LRA

Synthetic example for illustration only. We already have a process that estimates climate-related effects on earnings, cash outflows and sales, and we use it for our annual planning cycle.
- The main issues we track are flood disruption at two sites, tighter carbon rules on process heat, and a chance to win lower-emission product contracts; we classify these as physical, regulatory and other business risks/opportunities.
- Before any response measures, we estimate a downside of £18m in extra costs and lost margin over three years, and an upside of £9m in added revenue from new contracts.
- We manage these through site hardening, energy-efficiency upgrades and customer engagement; the actions taken so far have cost £4.2m, and we plan to extend the model to a fuller scenario set by Q4 2026.

This synthetic disclosure shows a reporter that already has a climate-finance estimation process in place, while also signalling a planned enhancement timetable. It covers the nature of the climate issues, how they are grouped, the expected effect on the business, the unmitigated financial exposure, the response methods, and the spend on those responses.
Retail and distribution · synthetic · written by LRA

Synthetic example for illustration only. We do not yet run a fully integrated tool for climate-linked financial estimates, but we do have a manual process for selected sites and product lines.
- Our current focus is heat stress affecting warehouse labour, storm damage to delivery routes, and demand growth for low-carbon products; we treat these as physical, physical and other business opportunities.
- On a pre-action basis, we estimate £6m of extra expenditure and £3m of foregone sales, alongside a possible £5m revenue uplift from greener ranges.
- We are addressing these through roof reinforcement, route redesign and supplier switching; the actions have cost £1.8m so far, and we expect a full system with regular forecasting by the end of 2027.

This synthetic disclosure shows a reporter that only has a partial process today, with a clear timetable to build a fuller capability. It still covers the climate issues being watched, their classification, the expected operational and financial effect, the unmitigated exposure, the management approach, and the cost of the actions already taken.
Draft output & visualisation ideas

How to turn the collected data into a draft disclosure. Suggested visuals and a GRI content-index line generated from this disclosure's datapoints.

Suggested visuals

  • Readiness to quantify climate-related financial effects — table: Whether a process already exists to estimate climate-related financial impacts, and whether work is underway to build that capability where it is not yet in place.
  • Climate-related risks and opportunities by type — stacked bar: A split of identified climate-related matters into physical, regulatory and other business categories, showing how the portfolio is distributed across those types.
  • Potential business impact by issue — bar: The expected effect of each identified climate-related matter on operations, income or spending, so the most material items are easy to compare.
  • Estimated financial exposure before management action — bar: The gross financial effect linked to each risk or opportunity before any response measures are applied.
  • Response methods and associated spend — table: The main ways the organisation is managing each climate-related matter, alongside the cost of the actions taken.
  • Planned build-out of financial impact assessment capability — line: The timeline for developing or improving systems used to estimate climate-related financial effects or revenue effects over time.
From a number to a disclosure

What separates a figure from a disclosure.

Basic

We have identified climate-related risks and opportunities that could affect our costs, revenue or operations.

Better

We have a system to estimate climate-related financial effects, and we have mapped one regulatory risk with an estimated pre-action exposure of £2.0 million and a £0.3 million response cost.

Best

We have a system in place, we are extending it by Q4 2026, and for our main physical risk we estimate a £2.0 million pre-action exposure, a £0.3 million mitigation cost and a lower expected impact because we are upgrading site drainage and backup power.

From company reports
Real published reports Compare side by side →Get it free

Real reports where this topic is disclosed. The confidence label shows how closely each match maps to GRI 201-2 — these are report practice, not exact disclosure examples.

CompanySector · CountryYearMatchPageReportAssurance
Abertis Ground Transportation — Highways and Railtracks · Spain 2024 Partial p. 220 →p. 256 →p. 260 → Abertis Annual Report 2024 → KPMG
Evidence in Abertis’s report

What the report shows

Abertis’ 2024 Annual Report provides several covered datapoints relevant to the disclosure, including a financial capacity statement related to goodwill impairment testing on page 321 and monetary values linked to renewable energy technologies and climate risk assessments on pages 132 and 134 respectively. The report details systems utilising renewable energy technology in infrastructure maintenance (p.132) and mentions a physical climate risk assessment conducted in the prior year (p.134). However, key narrative items (a-i to a-iii) and certain monetary values (a-v) are not found, and the methodology or narrative for item (a-iv) remains unclear.

Evidence-based summary of this company’s own report — not a disclosure template to copy, and not a compliance verdict.

Datapoint coverage

DatapointStatusPage
Financial modelling systemA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 321
Model build planA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 132
Climate financial exposureA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 134
Risk type and descriptionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Business impact descriptionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Pre-action financial effectNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Risk response methodsNo quotable evidence was found (methodology/narrative). unclear
Response costsNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found

Source trail

  • p. 321financial capacity to enter into new acquisitions, the impairment test for the Abertis Group’s goodwill at 31 December
  • p. 80revenue from activities with a human rights due diligence system in place 0% 100% Complete Develop an organisational
  • p. 272FINANCIAL AND NON FINANCIAL LIABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 20. REVENUE AND EXPENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 21. CONTINGENCIES, COMMITMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 22. INFORMATION
  • p. 80systems >75% of revenue from activities with an ISO14001 certified environmental management system in place 7.7% 80.2% Complete
  • p. 382financial effect of modifications of financial assets IFRIC12 (Note 11.a) 8,630 – - Reversal of expected loss financial
  • p. 129Financial data Identification Substantial Contribution Do no significant harm 1 2 3 4 5 Disclosure 6 Eligible non-eligible
  • p. 275costs 7 43,564 76,092 Infrastructure upgrade revenue 3.m 556,224 735,438 Income from operations 6,628,525 6,267,531 Staff
  • p. 132technologies, on site. Systems utilising renewable energy technology in buildings or roadway elements. ✔ x CE 3.4. Maintenance of roads and motorways Maintenance of streets, roads and motorways, other vehicular and pedestrian ways, surface work on streets, roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, aerodrome…
  • p. 134change (Regulation 2020/852), Abertis conducted a physical climate risk assessment during the previous year to identify potential risks
  • p. 89risks or opportunities, and presents the material impacts identified in the process described in Disclosure Requirement IRO-1 for the activities
  • p. 106climate change risks identified, an assessment and prioritisation is carried out to identify the most significant risks, following
  • p. 105risks and opportunities related to climate change. The methodology is explained in the climate change
  • p. 211risks and opportunities and their interaction with strategy and business model Climate Change ESRS Disclos ure Requirement
Qisda Corporation Technology Hardware and Equipment · Taiwan 2024 Partial p. 228 →p. 229 →p. 80 → QISDA ESG Report 2024 → EY
Evidence in Qisda Corporation’s report

What the report shows

Qisda Corporation's 2024 ESG Report includes some coverage of financial implications related to climate change, with a specific monetary value reported on page 229. The report also discusses operational costs and competitiveness linked to establishing an ISO 50001 management system on page 28. However, several narrative items and monetary values related to climate risk disclosure are missing or unclear, with no quotable evidence found for key narrative elements and some monetary values.

Evidence-based summary of this company’s own report — not a disclosure template to copy, and not a compliance verdict.

Datapoint coverage

DatapointStatusPage
Financial modelling systemA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 28
Model build planSupporting context was found, but no headline value. partial p. 27
Climate financial exposureA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 229
Risk type and descriptionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Business impact descriptionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Pre-action financial effectNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Risk response methodsNo quotable evidence was found (methodology/narrative). unclear
Response costsNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found

Source trail

  • p. 28costs will result in a loss of competitiveness of products Operation Low Very low Establish the ISO 50001 management system
  • p. 229Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change 79-101 201-3 Defined benefit plan
  • p. 178System enhancement: Ensure the fire protection system is complete and conduct regular inspections and maintenance. ● Emergency response and reporting: Establish
  • p. 101financial implications for implementing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as well as for the adoption of green packaging materials
  • p. 27product development and management regulations and make plans in advance, and regularly review the progress of new product development.
  • p. 27make plans in advance, and regularly review the progress of new product development. Operation Low High Establish a product
REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais, SGPS, S.A. Water Utilities · Portugal 2025 Partial p. 325 →p. 634 →p. 653 → REN Integrated Report 2025 → bsi
Evidence in REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais, SGPS, S.A.’s report

What the report shows

REN’s 2025 Integrated Report includes detailed financial information such as revenue measurement at fair value, net of taxes and discounts (p.479), and specific monetary values related to costs and interest expenses (p.446). The report also references climate-related impacts and risks within a double materiality analysis (p.635) and provides an overview of the company’s activities and strategy (p.15). However, there is no clear narrative on methodology or certain narrative items, and some monetary values related to specific disclosures are not found or remain unclear.

Evidence-based summary of this company’s own report — not a disclosure template to copy, and not a compliance verdict.

Datapoint coverage

DatapointStatusPage
Financial modelling systemA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 479
Model build planA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 446
Climate financial exposureA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 635
Risk type and descriptionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Business impact descriptionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Pre-action financial effectA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 15
Risk response methodsNo quotable evidence was found (methodology/narrative). unclear
Response costsNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found

Source trail

  • p. 4793.7 REVENUE Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable. Revenue is deducted by the amount of taxes, discounts, returns and other rebates. Revenue relating to services rendered refers to debits made to subsidiaries corresponding to management costs. Revenue relating to…
  • p. 653Financial sector: 76.4 M€ ¬¬ Community: 0.7 M€ ¬¬ Government: 46.2 M€ Economic value retained: 323.5 M€ - - - 11.14.2 201-2 Financial
  • p. 451costs 71,276 67,618 30. FINANCIAL COSTS AND FINANCIAL INCOME Financial costs and financial income
  • p. 503COMMITMENT 503 I II III 06 CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ANNEXES 07 INDIVIDUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ANNEXES CONSOLIDATED AND INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS
  • p. 466costs and taxes) 181,272 179,815 Interest and similar income 23 42,940 49,885 Interest and similar costs
  • p. 450Financial expenses (Note 8) 5,714 7,381 Overhead and management costs (Note 8) 25,845 24,007 403,294 354,403 Cost
  • p. 446costs 340 371 Interest costs 1,181 1,214 (Gains)/losses of other long term employee benefit plans (30) (33) Total
  • p. 256plans for the organization’s future. 35% OF THE VACANCIES WERE FILLED BY INTERNAL CANDIDATES Talent retention model Succession plans
  • p. 635climate-related impacts, risks and opportunities 4.1.2 Materiality – Double materiality analysis: p. 136 4.2.1 Climate change
  • p. 634Climate change – Impacts, Risks and Opportunities: p. 149 4.2.2 Biodiversity – Impacts, Risks and Opportunities: p. 196 4.3.1 REN Employees
  • p. 669climate-related risks and opportunities. → 2.3 Risk management CDP – Climate Change 20254 (4.1.2) b) Describe management
  • p. 669risks. → 4.2.1 Climate change CDP – Climate Change 20254 (7.6, 7.7, 7.8 e 7.8.1) c) Describe the targets
  • p. 635risks and potential climate-related opportunities Annex 6. TCFD Recommendations: p. 671 - ESRS E2 – POLLUTION Disclosure requirement related
  • p. 1501 OUR ACTIVITY 1.1 Background 16 1.2 Electricity 35 1.3 Gas 51 1.4 Other activities 77 1.5 International 80 I II III 15 ENERGY WITH COMMITMENT 02 STRATEGY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 03 GOVERNANCE 04 SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT 05 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND PROPOSED ALLOCATION OF NET INCOME INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT…
  • p. 479costs. Revenue relating to investments in subsidiaries and associates is recognized in accordance with the equity method. Interest revenue
  • p. 140POTENTIAL) TIME HORIZON (ST/MT/LT) IMPACT ON THE VALUE CHAIN (OO/U/D/U&D) ESRS E1 Climate change GHG emissions from
  • p. 152risks and opportunities Climate scenario analysis REN employs a structured management approach to climate risks and opportunities
Check your understanding
A preparer has a climate risk register, but the finance team only tracks likely spend on adaptation projects and has not built a way to estimate how weather-related disruption could affect sales or costs across the business. The team is deciding whether this counts as enough for the disclosure.Should the response say there is a system in place for turning climate-related effects into financial estimates, or should it say that work is still needed?
Model answer. If the organisation cannot yet use a process to turn climate-related effects into cost or revenue estimates, it should not present that capability as already in place. The answer should reflect the current position honestly and, if relevant, explain that development work is underway rather than implying the system already exists.
Why this matters. Describe the actual state of the organisation’s estimating process, not the aspiration or the wider risk register.
A business has approved a project to build a climate scenario model next year. The budget is £120,000, with £40,000 planned for this year and £80,000 for next year, but the project has slipped and no model is yet live.How should the preparer present the plan and timing for building the estimating system?
Model answer. The preparer should report the development plan and timeline as they stand now, using the amounts and timing that are actually approved and still current. In this case, the narrative should make clear that the system is not yet operating and that the work is staged across this year and next year, with the total planned spend of £120,000 split consistently between the two periods.
Why this matters. Give the current build plan and timing, and keep the figures aligned with the approved schedule.
A manufacturer has identified two climate-related matters that could change future results: hotter summers may raise cooling costs by £300,000 a year, and a new carbon charge could add £500,000 a year in compliance spend. The finance team is unsure whether to describe both, and how to label them.Which matters should be included, and how should they be described so the reader understands what kind of issue each one is?
Model answer. Both matters should be included if each could lead to a material shift in operations, income, or spending. Each item should be described in plain language, with a clear label for the type of issue it is — for example, one may be weather-related and the other policy-related — and the explanation should state the expected effect on the business, such as higher cooling costs or extra compliance spend.
Why this matters. Include climate matters that could materially change the business, and explain both the type of issue and its likely effect.
A retailer has a flood exposure that could interrupt deliveries and cause £250,000 of lost sales if nothing is done. It has already spent £70,000 on raised storage and backup logistics, and expects those measures to cut the loss to £80,000.What should the preparer explain about the issue, the effect, the pre-action financial exposure, the response taken, and the cost of that response?
Model answer. The preparer should set out the issue in a way that shows what the climate-related threat is, what it does to the business, what the financial exposure looked like before any response, how it is being managed, and what the management measures cost. In this example, the narrative would say the flood risk could disrupt deliveries and reduce sales by £250,000 without action, that raised storage and backup logistics are the chosen response, and that those measures cost £70,000.
Why this matters. For each climate matter, explain the issue, its effect, the unmitigated financial exposure, the response, and what that response costs.
Analyse this disclosure across real reports

See how companies actually report GRI 201-2 — drawn from their own published reports, with the exact pages, and an LRA AI-assistant that works through it with you. Available to LRA Community members and to students throughout their platform access.

Related framework references

How this disclosure maps across the major reporting frameworks.

GRIPrimary
GRI 201-2
within GRI 201: Economic Performance 2016
Open official source →
ESRSRelated
ESRS E1
Climate Change — closest topical match (post-Omnibus ESRS catalogue).
IFRSNo equivalent
No direct IFRS S1/S2 topical equivalent.
Related & explore
Questions this page answers
For GRI 201-2, what data do I need to gather before I start drafting the disclosure?

The page says to prepare a set of specific datapoints, including the financial modelling system, model build plan, climate financial exposure, risk type and description, business impact description, pre-action financial effect, risk response methods and response costs. Use that list as your starting point so you can collect the right inputs before writing the narrative. ↑ section

How do I use the step-by-step 'how to prepare' section for GRI 201-2 in practice?

Use it as a working sequence for moving from scoping and data collection into drafting, rather than as a finished answer in itself. The page is designed to help you prepare the disclosure, build the evidence pack and turn the data into a draft. ↑ section

What should I include in the evidence pack for GRI 201-2 if I want to be assurance-ready?

The page includes an evidence pack with five items to support assurance readiness, alongside six assurance claims to verify. In practice, that means keeping the underlying support for the claim, the risk and the evidence together so a reviewer can trace the disclosure back to source material. ↑ section

What are the six assurance claims on the GRI 201-2 page and how should I use them?

The page says there are six assurance claims to verify, each linked to a claim, risk and evidence check. Use them as a review list to test whether the disclosure is supported and whether the evidence pack is complete before sign-off. ↑ section

What common mistakes does the GRI 201-2 page warn me to avoid?

The page lists common reporting gaps and mistakes, so it is useful as a pre-submission check rather than a source of new data requirements. Review those gaps against your draft to catch missing datapoints, weak evidence or unclear wording before you finalise. ↑ section

How can I turn the GRI 201-2 data into a draft disclosure quickly?

The page includes draft-output support, including visualisation ideas, narrative starters and a GRI content-index line. That makes it easier to move from collected data to a first draft without starting from a blank page. ↑ section

What is the best way to assign ownership for the GRI 201-2 disclosure across ESG, finance and data owners?

The page is set up to help you prepare the disclosure and collect the right data, so ownership should follow the datapoints you need to assemble. In practice, assign each input to the person or team closest to the source system or model so the evidence pack is easier to build. ↑ section

How do I decide the scope and methodology for the GRI 201-2 disclosure using this page?

Use the page’s datapoint list and model build plan to define what is in scope and how the figures or descriptions are being produced. The page is intended to help you set up the disclosure in a practical way, not to replace your own methodology decisions. ↑ section

What should an assurance reviewer look for in the GRI 201-2 evidence pack?

They should be able to trace the disclosure back to the supporting material in the evidence pack and check that the claim, risk and evidence line up. The page’s assurance section is designed to help you spot gaps before external review. ↑ section

How do I use the synthetic example disclosures on the GRI 201-2 page without copying them blindly?

Treat the examples as a drafting aid, not as a template to copy into your report. They are synthetic and internally consistent, so they are there to show the kind of structure and level of detail the page is aiming for. ↑ section

Can I reuse the same data for GRI 201-2 and ESRS E1 (Climate Change)?

The page notes ESRS E1 (Climate Change) as the closest correspondence, so there may be useful overlap in the data you collect. Reuse the data where it fits your reporting needs, but do not assume the two disclosures are identical. ↑ section

More questions this page can help with
  • GRI 201-2 economic performance disclosure checklist for ESG managers
  • What evidence do I need for GRI 201-2 financial modelling system and model build plan?
  • How to collect climate financial exposure data for GRI 201-2
  • Who should own the GRI 201-2 response costs and pre-action financial effect inputs?
  • GRI 201-2 assurance-ready evidence pack template
  • Common mistakes in GRI 201-2 economic performance reporting
  • How to use the GRI 201-2 Prep & Assurance workbook
  • How to use the printable Library Card for GRI 201-2
  • GRI 201-2 draft narrative starters and content index line
  • GRI 201-2 synthetic example disclosure table
  • GRI 201-2 closest ESRS E1 climate change correspondence
  • Where can I find real company report examples for GRI 201-2
Dr Ross Kurinko
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Sources, status and disclaimer

This LRA assistance tool is designed for educational and internal data-collection purposes. It is not an official interpretation of the GRI Standards, IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards or EU CSRD/ESRS requirements. When applying these frameworks in professional practice, users should consult and double-check the official standards, guidance and applicable regulatory sources.