As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals. With more than 14,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.
OUR COMMUNICATIONS REACH AND IMPACT IS GROWING
In our 21st year, the United Nations Global Compact launched an array of successful programmes, strategies and events that helped to spread our message and encourage companies around the world to sign on and align their priorities toward sustainability.
We invite you to take a closer look at our communications impact this year, including highlights from our flagship publications and events.
TOP TIER MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Bloomberg | UN Global Compact CEO on Private Sector Climate Action
- Forbes | Lessons We Should Learn From COP26
- CNBC | How partnerships are changing the game when it comes to reducing emissions
- Business Green | Businesses must rise to fill the gap in climate change leadership
- CNBC (Sustainable Future) | UN Global Compact chief on hopes for COP26
- Fortune | Global CFOs pledge $500 billion toward UN’s 2030 sustainability goals
- The Wall Street Journal | Finance Chiefs Urge More Companies to Link Debt to Sustainability Goals
- World Economic Forum | Sustainability is the CFO's new best friend. Here's why
- Financial Times | Companies must get moving on the journey to combat climate change
- Thomson Reuters Foundation | OPINION: Why we must give substance to corporate net-zero targets
- Forbes | How Spend Management Influences Sustainability
- The Financial Times | Post-crisis recovery is a chance to address gender inequality
- Bloomberg | Elon Musk Tops List of Green Billionaires
- Folha de São Paulo | Companies must consider climate risks for yesterday, says Global Compact director
- El Pais | Trends Forum 2022 | How to channel the exit from the crisis caused by the coronavirus
- Bangkok Post | Sustainability seen as the key to growth
- Vårt land | Norway threatens other countries' sustainable development
- People Daily | It’s time for business to step up climate action
New UN Global Compact Strategy 2021–2023
In January, the UN Global Compact launched a three-year strategy aimed at accelerating business action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and more ambitious climate and sustainability targets.
The new approach strives to move companies faster and farther toward corporate sustainability and responsible business practices through specific, measurable targets.
Under the strategy, UN Global Compact Local Networks are building dynamic national ecosystems, and collaboration with UN agencies and UN country teams is being enhanced.
Our Flagship Events
TARGET GENDER EQUALITY LIVE
On 16 March, TARGET GENDER EQUALITY LIVE drew nearly 5,000 participants from 3,459 organizations as well as 206 speakers who shared their views on how the private sector can help bring down barriers to gender equality by respecting and supporting the rights of women and girls.
- 158,000 impressions of our hashtag #TargetGenderEquality on social media from 1 January to 31 March
- 1.1 billion potential media reach from 1 January to 31 March
UN GLOBAL COMPACT LEADERS SUMMIT
The 2021 Leaders Summit (15–16 June) attracted more than 20,000 attendees from 163 countries for 26 hours of continuous virtual programming aimed at increasing corporate ambition to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. In global, regional and local sessions, leaders from business, civil society, governments and the UN shared their ideas, strategies and pledges to promote the Ten Principles and drive sustainable business.
- 439,000 impressions on UN Global Compact social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) during the event
- 9,340 LinkedIn engagements from 1 May to 30 June
- 2.3 billion potential media reach and 1,130 media mentions from 1 May to 30 June
Watch our highlights video:
Uniting Business LIVE
Uniting Business LIVE (20–22 September) featured seven Heads of State and Government, dozens of chief executives, the UN Secretary-General, agency and civil society leaders along with more than 9,000 participants. On the sidelines of the opening of the UN General Assembly’s 76th session, the event addressed corporate action and ambition on climate change and sustainable development as businesses build back from the pandemic and built a strong business case for sustainability. The UN Global Compact CFO Taskforce committed to invest more than $500 billion toward sustainability goals and link corporate financing to sustainability performance, with plans to issue new tools such as sustainability-linked bonds.
Held during Uniting Business LIVE, the inaugural Young SDG Innovators Summit celebrated and engaged young corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who will be helping to create solutions for the future of sustainable business.
- 2,540 total mentions of our hashtag #UnitingBusiness on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Youtube from 1 August to 23 September
- 409,000 impressions and 10,400 engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn during the event
- 1 billion potential media reach from 1 August to 24 September
Watch our highlights video:
Business Ambition for Climate Action
Business Ambition for Climate Action (10 November), live from COP26 in Glasgow, brought together over 4,000 key leaders in business, finance, civil society, Government and the United Nations to help drive immediate cuts to carbon emissions and act decisively to help avert the climate crisis. A new Global Standard for Net-Zero Business was introduced, designed to drive technological and social transformation for a sustainable future.
- 1,040 total mentions of our hashtag #OurOnlyFuture on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Youtube from 13 October to 11 November
- 142,000 impressions and 2,780 engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn during the event
- 26,800 media mentions and 40.8 billion potential media reach from 1 October to 14 November
21 Years of the UN Global Compact
Uniting Business for a Better World
This year we updated our Corporate Film in seven languages. The film tells the story of the Global Compact from its inception to today as it brings together businesses to mobilize, adopt and promote the Ten Principles addressing responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.
Watch in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Japanese
TOP PUBLICATIONS IN 2021
TOP TIER MEDIA COVERAGE
- Associated Press | New UN Global Compact strategy aims to accelerate business action to achieve Sustainable ...
- Bloomberg | World’s Biggest Brands Adopt Checklist to Rescue Seafarers
- India Today | G7 stock markets indicate alarming levels of global warming
- El Economista | Not a single stock index of the G-7 countries complies with the Paris Agreement
- Business Green | ‘Dramatic ambition gap’: No major G7 stock index aligned with Paris Agreement climate goals
- Inc. Magazine | What Businesses Need From COP26
- Financial Times | The need to elevate developing countries at COP26
- Business Green | COP26: CEOs 'unequivocally call' for bolder government climate action as net zero goals become new normal
- Fortune | CEOs say the pandemic has highlighted the need to transition to more sustainable business models
- CNN (interview) | Business Leaders Call for Urgent Government Action
COMMITMENTS, COALITIONS AND TOOLS
- 100+ child labour action pledges with the ILO Child Labour Platform
- Water Resilience Coalition set the ambition of having positive water impact in over 100 water stressed basins by 2030
- Announced $500B commitment to SDG-aligned by all CFOs in the Taskforce
- Over 100 stakeholders engaged in Blue Road to COP 26 and produced four thought leadership insight briefs
- Developed and launched the SDG 16 Business Framework
- Following success of the Gender Gap Analysis tool, launched the UN LGBTIQ+ Standards Gap Analysis Tool
- Launched the Improving Wages to Advance Decent Work in Supply Chains
Leadership in Action
Water Resilience Profiles in Leadership
In a series of video interviews, we featured CEOs from our Water Resilience Coalition explaining their aim to move global water stress to the top of the corporate agenda. Read more here.
Male Champions for Gender Equality
To mark International Men’s Day (19 November), we took a close-up look at male allies leveraging their roles as business executives from Brazil, Ecuador, Singapore, Spain and UK to advocate for gender equality. Read more here.
Financing a Sustainable Future: CFO Insights
Look for our video series hosted by former CNN Business anchor Maggie Lake featuring inspiring interviews with the world’s top Chief Financial Officers. Financing a Sustainable Future: CFO Insights started in September with a new video every week. Learn more here and access the videos on YouTube here.
IMPACT AT LOCAL LEVEL
In several dozen countries around the world, the Global Compact Networks translate our Ten Principles into action at the national and regional level. They help companies understand what responsible business means within different national, cultural and language contexts and facilitate outreach, learning, policy dialogue, collective action and partnerships. With a One Global Compact approach, these independent, self-governed and self-managed entities work closely with the UN Global Compact in New York and act as a point of contact for UN Global Compact signatories in a country.
Most recently we have welcomed new Networks in Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and Brunei joined Network Malaysia.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS PER REGION
ASIA & OCEANIA
Networks in Australia and Sri Lanka held flagship Making Global Goals Local Business events, drawing leaders from business, civil society, government, Global Compact Networks and the United Nations who shared ideas and approaches to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Compact Network Sri Lanka commenced working groups in sustainable finance and sustainable supply chain to promote member and board engagement and drive strategies and progress.
Network Australia rolled out its SDG Ambition Accelerator and attracted a first round of companies in such industries as computer software, retail, construction, mining and health care.
MIDDLE EAST
The Global Compact Networks UAE, Lebanon and Jordan joined forces at the UN Hub - Expo 2020 in Dubai, being held in 2021 and 2022, for an expert panel discussion on gender equality in the Arab world.
Network Lebanon kicked off its SDG Brain Lab in collaboration with eight universities to train youth in topics of sustainability such as purpose-driven leadership and circular economies. Students will be asked to develop a project to solve a pressing issue in their community that will be presented to a jury for awards, and outstanding participants will be offered internships with the Local Network’s member companies.
AFRICA
The UN Global Compact hosted Uniting Business Africa, a virtual forum that focused on corporate sustainability and realizing collective aspirations for a prosperous and resilient continent. At the event, the Global Compact launched its Africa Strategy 2021-2023 to galvanize large and small companies to meet fundamental responsibilities in areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
Network Kenya hosted two CEO Forums focusing on mainstreaming sustainability in the manufacturing sector and the circular economy, two Women Empowerment Principles Forums and the first business and human rights webinar after the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights was endorsed by the nation’s Cabinet. Network Tunisia held a high-level meeting about sustainable finance with members of the banking industry.
EASTERN EUROPE
Making Global Goals Local Business Georgia was organized by Global Compact Network Georgia and Networks in Ukraine, Poland, Turkey and Belarus with a theme of “The Future is Green and Inclusive”. The networks published case studies on private sector efforts to cut carbon emissions and transition to clean energy. Network Georgia launched the first magazine on corporate sustainability in Georgia, entitled “Sustainability Spotlight Magazine”.
Global Compact Network Turkey co-hosted webinars and online workshops to promote an anti-pollution “Business Plastic Initiative”, while Global Compact Network Bulgaria started a campaign “Healthy Together”, featuring a public discussion on issues of trust in vaccines and the role of business in stimulating the vaccination process.
Global Compact Network Ukraine presented its "Partnership for Sustainability Awards" to celebrate businesses, employees, management and Government for the implementation of sustainable strategies in operational standards.
WESTERN EUROPE & NORTH AMERICA
Networks in the UK and Norway helped organize a Sustainable Finance Action Platform, to promote green finance and fuel a zero-emission economy.
Network Portugal kicked off its National Target on Gender Equality, challenging companies to reach a goal of 40 per cent women in decision-making positions by 2030.
Networks in Italy and Finland hosted climate events during Pre-COP26 in Milan. Italy’s event focused on the role of young business leaders to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement, and Finland’s event looked at the role of business and multi-sector collaboration.
Network Spain set up a communications campaign using the hashtag #AliadosdelosODS to improve the engagement of its partners, who are using it on social networks to talk about the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Network Canada hosted Making Global Goals Local Business Canada, looking at how businesses can embed sustainable development against such obstacles as racial discrimination, gender gaps and inadequate climate action exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Network USA joined with Network UK to launch an Elimination of Child Labour Webinar Series to help raise awareness, discuss challenges and share best practices on the eradication of child labour.
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
The UN Global Compact scored big during the Copa America, promoting awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals in campaign ads at the popular football matches. An initiative of the Paraguayan Local Network and regional Local Networks, the sideline ads promoting the Uniting Business campaign for the SDGs ran at seven CONMEBOL games in July.
Network Panama published a career guide for people with disabilities with a gender perspective, an anti-bribery reference guide for companies on compliance and a guide to responsible business management aligned with sustainability standards. Uruguay celebrated the creation of its Local Network, attracting more than 30 companies in the first three months.
Network Argentina held a sustainable integrity programme that attracted banks, insurance companies, multinational distribution chains, energy and food companies, and its first executive training programme on the Circular Economy and Sustainable Development Goals.
Network Bolivia participated in development of IMPULSA, a mentoring programme to empower micro and small entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and CRECE, a programme to support parents and caretakers struggling to raise children and work from home during lockdowns.
Network Mexico held a TEDx session to look at transformative perspectives to trigger climate action. Speakers included Martha Delgado Peralta, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Right, Secretariat of Foreign Relations of Mexico, Adriana Lobo, Executive Director, World Resources Institute Mexico and actor and activist Alfonso Herrera, a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
New Faces on the UN Global Compact Board
Joining the Board of the UN Global Compact in 2021 as Paul Polman’s co Vice-Chair was Solange Ribeiro, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Neoenergia. Other new joiners were Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, and Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International. Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, was appointed to a new rotating two-year position, and Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen quickly succeeded by Charlotte Laursen, joined for Denmark’s tenure as Chair of the UN Global Compact Government Group.
We bid farewell and thanks to outgoing Board members Bola Adelsola, Francesco Starace and Philip Jennings.
The UN Secretary-General, who Chairs the Board, extended the terms of Board members co Vice-Chair Paul Polman, Roberto Marques, Clara Arpa Azofra, Patrick Chalhoub, Ren Hongbin, Anand Mahindra, Flora Mutahi, Jean-Pascal Tricoire and Sandra Wu Wen-Hsiu.
Tribute to John Ruggie
one of the co-founders of the UN Global Compact
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
#UnitingBusiness
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