Bertelsmann is a participant in the UN Global Compact since 2008 and has followed the international standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) since 2011.

The online Corporate Responsibility Report presented on the following subpages relates to the financial year 2021 and was created in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core Option. Supplementary information in conformity with the sector-specific "Media Sector Disclosures" (MSD) is also included. For financial year 2021, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Services team performing the Materiality Disclosures Service verified that the GRI content index is clearly presented and that the references for disclosures 102-40 to 102-49 are consistent with the corresponding sections in the body of the report. The service was performed on the basis of the English version of the report.

In March 2024, Bertelsmann published a Combined Non-Financial Statement in the Bertelsmann Annual Report 2023, which complies with the German CSR Directive Implementation Act. The reporting covers the following five non-financial aspects: employee matters, social matters, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and bribery matters, and environmental matters.

With regard to the environment, Bertelsmann has published an environmental report for the financial year 2023 that references the GRI standards and principles of the UN Global Compact.