Selected Publications

Report

Driving Progress: Sustainable Finance for the Advancement of the SDGs

2025

According to recent UN estimates, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) financing gap has surged in recent years to up to 4 trillion USD annually. As one of the world’s most powerful markets, the United States has a unique opportunity to help close this gap and drive meaningful progress toward a more sustainable future. "Driving Progress: Sustainable Finance for the Advancement of the SDGs" highlights how organizations — of any size or industry — can leverage sustainable finance to drive positive change while enhancing their competitiveness. This report includes three compelling case studies from Citi, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), and International Motors, highlighting their leadership and pioneering efforts in the space.

Report

UN Global Compact Network USA Strategy Overview

2024

Report

From Ripples to Waves: The Value of Corporate Water Stewardship

2024

"From Ripples to Waves: The Value of Corporate Water Stewardship” discusses the value of water and serves as a call to action for businesses to address water challenges proactively. Delving into the practices of six companies across various sizes and sectors – including PepsiCo, Microsoft, Gotham Greens, Cargill, S&P Global, and Xylem –the white paper provides tangible examples of effective water stewardship. The companies’ case studies showcase how they integrate water risk as a core consideration. Through these examples, the report highlights how the private sector can make a demonstrable contribution to the achievement of SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

Report

Information for Small and Medium Enterprises in Network USA

2023

UN Global Compact Network USA (Network USA) is one of 69 Local Networks offering support to companies who seek to advance the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact around the world via their business practices. Companies that join the UN Global Compact receive best practice guidance, tools, resources, training that considers the US market and our footprint in the global business landscape, and support that equips them with the foremost sustainability knowledge as they pursue their sustainability efforts. This document was created to provide you with a reminder of the wide range of benefits you receive as a participant of the UN Global Compact USA and details of your mandatory annual contribution.

Report

Aligning Business Innovation with the Sustainable Development Goals: Success Stories

2023

Our shared future will depend on business innovation and leadership. This report discusses innovation's critical role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It offers actionable guidance on how companies can innovate to reach the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The intractable challenges we face will require innovation and leadership from businesses worldwide and the United States in particular. We need companies to build sustainability into their business strategies and operations. We must invest in an existing and emerging talent pool of changemakers to find sustainable solutions. We need businesses to aim higher to meet our world's existential challenges. In this report, Network USA shares the design logic, discusses rich implementation examples, shares its learnings, and recommends actionable steps companies can take to lead their businesses into a future as a force for good to forge a more prosperous and resilient world.

Report

Navigating Decent Work Challenges in Multi-Tiered Supply Chains: Leadership Brief

2020

Examines how companies can navigate complex multi-tiered supply chains and their associated challenges as part of their efforts to advance decent work in their global supply chains. While multi-tier supply chains have the advantage of driving efficiency, reducing planning cycle lead times and reducing possible business disruptions, they also increase the risk of causing or contributing to human rights impacts and decent work deficits, particularly in the lower tiers of the chain. This is exacerbated in a crisis situation such as a pandemic, where workers’ rights and conditions may be compromised and income threatened as a result of order cancellations, factory shut-downs, or layoffs. This report seeks to guide multinational enterprises in reducing global supply chain vulnerabilities and provides proactive measures companies can take and best practice examples to draw inspiration from.

Report

Women's Empowerment and Business: 2020 Trends and Opportunities

2020

Examines the aggregate results of companies using the Women's Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool with an aim to provide insights on global corporate performance on gender equality and and showcase the efforts of partners and other stakeholders to drive women's empowerment around the world. The report concludes that while corporate support for gender equality is strong, businesses have yet to introduce measurable targets and robust accountability mechanisms to ensure progress.

Report

SDG Reporting Case Studies

2020

Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, more and more companies are disclosing how they are impacting them and contributing to their achievement. The examples featured below help businesses and interested stakeholders identify select current corporate SDG reporting practices. The examples focus on one or a few elements of the broader corporate reporting process and steps outlined in the ‘Practical Guide Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting.’ Please consult the Practical Guide for best practices on SDG reporting.

Report

UN Global Compact Progress Report 2019

2019

Provides an assessment of how companies in the UN Global Compact are adopting the Ten Principles and taking action to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. Based on data collected in the UN Global Compact annual survey, the report takes stock of how companies are performing on critical sustainability topics. The report also takes a deep dive into the critical issues of climate and gender equality. A feature on the activities of Global Compact Local Networks over the past year is also included.

Report

The Ambition Loop: How Business and Government Can Advance Policies that Fast Track Zero-Carbon Economic Growth

2019

Provides guidance for business and Government to fast track zero-carbon economic growth. With hundreds of businesses pursuing bold climate change solutions and countries updating national climate plans in advance of 2020, the opportunity for greater ambition abounds. More and more businesses are seeing opportunity in the zero-carbon economy and taking action on climate change. Governments must use this as a strong vote of confidence and advance ambitious policies that provide companies with the clarity and confidence they need to unlock further investments in climate solutions. This is the “ambition loop” — a positive feedback loop in which bold Government policies and private sector leadership reinforce each other, and together, take climate action to the next level.

Report

Navigating the Future of Business and Human Rights: Good Practice Examples

2019

Outlines how companies can embed human rights into their corporate strategies and advance people-centred solutions to growing global challenges. The report presents snapshots of good practice from companies participating in the UN Global Compact, highlights insight by Global Compact Local Networks around the world, and showcases initiatives that are advancing seven major themes: future of work, climate justice, effective remedy and grievance mechanisms, migrant rights, gender equality, due diligence and tackling working poverty.

Report

Guide for General Counsel on Corporate Sustainability Version 2.0

2019

Building on the original Guide for General Counsel on Corporate Sustainability published in 2015, Version 2.0 provides further guidance to General Counsel to ensure they are better placed and better equipped to drive change and deliver value to their organizations through an increased focus on corporate sustainability. Topics include: Corporate Sustainability and Business Integrity Corporate Sustainability and Business Integrity Human Rights and Supply Chain Due Diligence Corporate Sustainability and Grievance Mechanisms Challenges to Corporate Sustainability - Managing a Crisis

Report

Framework for Corporate Action on Workplace Women's Health and Empowerment

2019

The Framework for Corporate Action on Workplace Women's Health and Empowerment provides guidance for companies to take concrete actions to integrate women's health and empowerment in their policies, systems, and operations. The framework is based on lessons learned from consultations with companies, non-governmental organizations, and women's health programs in order to provide best practices for investing in workplace women's health and empowerment.

Report

Business Leadership for 1.5 °C

2019

Showcases business leadership on climate action aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Featuring solutions and strategies developed by companies that have taken the 1.5°C pledge, the report examines how business leaders are integrating this process into corporate strategies and generating employee buy-in.

Report

Time to Act: Decent Work, Modern Slavery, and Child Labour

2018

Decent Work cannot exist where modern slavery and child labour persist. Forced labour, modern slavery and child labour are complex problems associated with poverty, governance failures and inequalities in the global labour market. Tackling them requires a massive international effort, involving Governments, businesses, civil society organizations, trade unions and international bodies. This brief guide, developed as part of the Decent Work in Global Supply Chains Action Platform, offers a quick overview of the steps businesses can take to help eliminate modern slavery, while highlighting key resources, initiatives and engagement opportunities to support business action.

Report

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide

2018

Outlines a three-step process to embed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into existing business and reporting processes. It helps business to better report their impact on the SDGs and address the information needs of relevant stakeholders. This Guide follows an approach that is aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the GRI Standards. Translations of this publication are available in several languages.

Report

In Focus: Addressing Investor Needs in Business Reporting on the SDGs

2018

Features recommendations on how corporate reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can best address investors’ information needs. By helping inform investors' decision-making process, corporate SDG reporting can stimulate more investment in sustainable business solutions to help advance the Global Goals. Translations of this publication are available in several languages.

Report

Human Rights: The Foundation of Sustainable Business

2018

Celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and builds upon the UN Global Compact Progress Report. The report highlights insight and initiatives by Global Compact Local Networks around the world, presents snapshots of good practice from companies participating in the UN Global Compact and showcases initiatives that are advancing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Report

Decent Work in Global Supply Chains: A Baseline Report

2018

Summarizes data of bilateral interviews with supply chain, procurement, and sustainability executives of companies that participate in the UN Global Compact Action Platform on Decent Work in Global Supply Chains. The report presents insights into some of the key challenges and opportunities that companies face in their efforts to develop more sustainable procurement strategies. It also offers practical examples of steps taken to combat pressing human rights issues in supply chains, such as modern slavery, child labour and non-compliance with employment standards, and references relevant initiatives and resources for further guidance on these issues.

Report

Business Reporting on the SDGs: An Analysis of the Goals and Targets

2017

This report is a first step towards a uniform mechanism for business to report on their contribution to and impact on the SDGs in an effective and comparable way. It contains a list of existing and established disclosures that businesses can use to report, and identifies relevant gaps, where disclosures are not available. It also lists illustrative actions that businesses can take to make progress towards the SDG targets. Translations of this publication are available in several languages.

Report

Blueprint for Business Leadership on the SDGs

2017

Aims to inspire all business — regardless of size, sector or geography — to take leading action in support of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It illustrates how the five leadership qualities of Intentionality, Ambition, Consistency, Collaboration and Accountability can be applied to a business' strategy, business model, products, supply chain, partnerships, and operations to raise the bar and create impact at scale. The Blueprint is a tool for any business that is ready to advance its principled approach to SDG action to become a leader.

Report

A Guide to Traceability for SMEs

2016

This guide presents a brief introduction to the relevance of traceability for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) which are looking to adopt traceability in their supply chains and also assists them to link their initiative to the newly launched Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It illustrates the opportunities, challenges and practical steps for implementing traceability programmes within SMEs and features case examples for driving SME traceability.

Report

The SDG Compass

2015

Guides companies on how they can align their strategies as well as measure and manage their contribution to the realization of the SDGs. The SDG Compass presents five steps that assist companies in maximizing their contribution to the SDGs: understanding the SDGs, defining priorities, goal setting, integrating sustainability and reporting.

Report

Guide to Corporate Sustainability

2015

Lays out five defining features of corporate sustainability, which the Global Compact asks businesses to strive towards – looking at why each element is essential, how business can move forward and what the Global Compact is doing to help.