What is an indicator according to GRI?

An indicator in the context of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a specific metric used to assess and measure an organization's sustainability performance with respect to various topics. These indicators provide quantitative or qualitative data that reflect the effectiveness of an organization's strategies and practices related to sustainability, enabling stakeholders to understand performance outcomes in a standardized manner.

Indicators are essential for tracking progress against established sustainability goals and benchmarks, allowing companies to report transparently on their environmental, social, and governance practices. This framework facilitates comparability between organizations and sectors, thus enhancing accountability and promoting continuous improvement in sustainability efforts.

The other options describe aspects of sustainability reporting but do not define what an indicator is. General guidelines provide a framework but do not specify measurable elements. Standard procedures for financial audits focus on financial accountability rather than sustainability metrics. Templates for reports might assist in structuring information but do not inherently encapsulate the measurement aspect that indicators represent. Thus, the correct choice succinctly captures the essence of what indicators are within the GRI framework.