Scoring was re-opened for one more month (January 2008) for shortlisted reports only. From these 78 shortlisted reports only 45 reports have been declared eligible to receive one of eight awards to be given out in different categories. These 45 reports attracted at least 2.5% of the total votes cast which put them in the running to be considered for an award.

Scores will now be totalled and the highest scoring reports in eight categories will be rewarded during the Global Conference on Transparency and Sustainability in Amsterdam on May 7.

"This is the first time the world will hear the readers' voices", says Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative. "The level of interest shows that readers do take companies' sustainability reports seriously. Investors, civil society organizations, employees and other stakeholders have taken this opportunity to express what they like and don't like about reporting today." GRI thinks it is important to know whether anyone wants to read the reports, why or why not, what their expectations are, in which format they want to read it, etcetera.

Among the shortlisted companies, 8 are Brazilian, 8 Spanish, 5 Indian and 4 Argentinean. Only 3 British companies are on the list, 2 German, 2 Dutch, 1 American and 1 Italian. And even more surprisingly: none French. "These results have surprised us as well", says GRI's Florentine Versteeg. "But we are quite sure the shortlisted companies have not stimulated or pressed their employees to cast them. Apparently people in these countries show a lot of interest in these reports."

GRI promotes and develops a standardized approach to reporting to stimulate demand for sustainability information - which will benefit reporting organizations and those who use report information alike.

P+ webtip: GRI Amsterdam