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Total Materials Used G4 EN1 a Methodology

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In 2018, the GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines were superseded by the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards (GRI standards). This is the methodology for G4-EN1 which has been superseded by GRI 301-1 - the current GRI 301-1 metric can be found here. 

About

​This metric is based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Guidelines. It covers one of the reporting requirements of Indicator G4-EN1 – ‘Materials used by weight or volume’.

This Indicator describes the organization’s contribution to the conservation of the global resource base and its efforts to reduce the material intensity and increase the efficiency of the economy. These are expressed goals of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Council and various national sustainability strategies. For internal managers and others interested in the financial state of the organization, material consumption relates directly to overall costs of operation. Tracking this consumption internally, either by product or product category, facilitates the monitoring of material efficiency and cost of material flows.

Methodology

​This metric is looking for the total weight of materials that are used to produce and package the organization's primary products and services:

For Wikirate researchers:

Companies who align reports to GRI’s Sustainability Reporting Standards often include a GRI Content Index or Annex where GRI disclosures, with GRI codes, are listed.

  • Use the GRI Index, CTRL F, Command F or search button on source preview to search for this index and metrics within the report

  • Use G4 codes, G3 codes or keywords to quickly find values, keeping in mind that some companies report on the metric using different terms, e.g. G4-EN1 or EN1, primary products or packaging

  • Always check the metric question and methodology for the unit of measure or currency - researchers may need to carry out calculations or conversions before entering the final metric value

  • Add comments documenting exactly where within the source you found the information (page number) and include details of simple or complex calculations or conversions made to determine the metric value

  • If you are unable to locate a metric value in a source you can search for additional sources where the data is available and add a new source

Further guidance on how to research values for GRI-based metrics is available here, including detailed guidance on adding, editing and checking metric values.

Global Reporting Initiative compliance guidance for companies:

To calculate the total weight of materials used - G4-EN1-a1:

Identify the organization’s primary products and services.

Identify total materials used. This includes, as a minimum:

  • Raw materials (that is, natural resources used for conversion to products or services such as ores, minerals, wood)

  • Associated process materials (that is, materials that are needed for the manufacturing process but are not part of the final product, such as lubricants for manufacturing machinery)

  • Semi-manufactured goods or parts, including all forms of materials and components other than raw materials that are part of the final product

  • Materials for packaging purposes, which include paper, cardboard and plastics

Add the weight of all such materials to get to the total.

Reporting on this Indicator should include the following contextual information as a comment to the metric value:

  • For each material type, identify whether it was purchased from external suppliers or sourced internally (such as by captive production and extraction activities).

  • State whether this data is estimated or sourced from direct measurements. If estimation is required, state the methods used. Usage data is not to be further manipulated and is to be presented ‘as is’ rather than by ‘dry substance/weight’.