Launch of "Principles on Climate Leadership" in San Francisco
Record Quarter for Companies Communicating on Progress
First Consultation on Responsible Investment in Weak States
Global Compact to Delist Additional 203 “Inactive” Companies
First-ever Board Meeting of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative
Opportunities Building at Company-Investor Interface
GC’s 4th International Learning Forum Held in Ghana
Microsoft Announces Participation in GC
Global Compact and ISO Sign Memorandum of Understanding
First Investment Fund Dedicated to the UN Global Compact Launched
Conference on “Peace through Commerce” Convenes at Notre Dame University
Launch of "Principles on Climate Leadership" in San Francisco
San Francisco, 1 March 2007
The United Nations Global Compact, the City of San Francisco, the Bay Area Council and a wide array of Bay Area businesses today launched a unique partnership designed to provide meaningful actions that businesses and cities around the world can take to combat global warming.
The initiative - the Principles on Climate Leadership - will give Bay Area businesses a strategic framework to address climate change as well as a forum to share best practices to reduce greenhouse gasses in both large and small companies. In addition, the initiative will create a model for climate action in the commercial and public sectors that the UN Global Compact will seek to place in companies and cities around the world.
More the 20 companies from a variety of sectors, including Gap Inc., Gensler, Google, PG&E and Shaklee, officially endorsed the Principles and, in relation, announced the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3) at a special event in San Francisco - the city that gave birth to the United Nations with the signing of the UN Charter in 1945. More than 100 leaders from business, government and civil society attended the event, which was presided over by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
"Voluntary initiatives such as the BC3 and the Principles on Climate Leadership will be crucial in bringing about progressive and robust action on the global climate crisis", said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. "At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that voluntary action cannot be a substitute for effective regulation - rather, it informs and complements regulation".
"Local actions can have a positive effect on the entire planet," observed San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "The Bay Area is fortunate to have a visionary business community that is willing to get out in front of a daunting issue like global warming, and we are honored that the United Nations Global Compact will be working to bring this message to other communities and companies around the world."
BC3 member companies pledge to address greenhouse emissions throughout their operations and corporate cultures, and agree to follow the five Principles on Climate Leadership: Internal Implementation, Community Leadership, Advocacy and Dialogue, Collective Action, Transparency and Disclosure.
"The Bay Area Council has been an environmental leader for decades, but this may be one of our most ambitious projects ever," said Jim Wunderman, President of the Bay Area Council, the area's largest business association. "We, and our business community members, are proud to help focus the region's entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity on an issue so critical to our economic future."
The United Nations Global Compact will showcase the BC3 initiative and the core Principles on Climate Leadership at its Leaders Summit on 5-6 July 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland - an event that is expected to draw nearly 1000 business and government leaders as well as representatives of civil society from around the world. Addressing climate change will be a priority topic at the Leaders Summit.
Founding members of the BC3 comprise a diverse range of companies, including: 3 Phases Energy; AccessFlow; ARUP; CH2M Hill; Clif Bar; EcoAdvantage Network; Food from the Park; Gap Inc.; Gensler; Google; Green Impact; Green Squared Consulting; Hallisey & Johnson; HOK; New Resource Bank; Organic Architect; PG&E; Ponderosa Homes; Shaklee; SMWM Architecture; Solutions; Swinerton; Waldeck's; Webcor; Wendel, Rosen, Black and Dean; and William McDonough + Partners.
Please click here to access the Principles on Climate Leadership
Click here for Keynote Remarks by Gavin Power
For more information, please contact Gavin Power at powerg@un.org.
Record Quarter for Companies Communicating on Progress
New York, 30 January 2007
An unprecedented 428 business participants of the UN Global Compact issued a Communication on Progress (COP) in the last quarter of 2006 – a dramatic increase compared to 2005, when only 70 companies submitted their COP between October and December. This last quarter surge in submissions brings the total of COPs received by the Global Compact Office in 2006 to 927– an increase of 41 percent over 2005.
“We are excited that a growing number of companies are finding value in communicating their progress,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact. "We are especially pleased that the efforts of the local Global Compact Networks in supporting their participants led to such great results.”
To ensure the integrity of the initiative, all companies participating in the Global Compact are expected to develop an annual COP which describes the ways in which they are implementing the initiative’s ten principles. Companies that do not communicate their progress are marked as “non-communicating” on the Global Compact website and those that fail to communicate for two years in a row become inactive.
In 2007, the Global Compact Office plans not only to continue to improve the process and technology related to the COP, but also produce tools and trainings and simplified guidance in order to support the work of Global Compact participants.
“COPs are a great source of information for financial analysts, civil society organizations and other stakeholders,” said Jeff Senne, COP Manager in the Global Compact Office. “We firmly believe that public accountability and transparency are crucial to any company’s efforts to manage risks and opportunities, and we are increasingly impressed with the quality of information contained within the COPs we receive.”
For more information please visit the COP section on the Global Compact Website
First Consultation on Responsible Investment in Weak States
New York, 17 January 2006
A multistakeholder meeting on responsible investment in weak and conflict prone states was organized today by the Global Compact Office together with the New York City Comptroller's Office and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
The event brought together over 75 participants, including institutional investors and companies along with civil society and UN representatives to explore the key challenges faced by companies operating in weak or conflict-prone states. Discussions examined the implications and potential leverage for institutional investors, particularly in the context of the Global Compact and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The participants agreed that there is scope for further collaboration in this area. The UN Global Compact Office and PRI will suggest a process that will aim to create a framework for investors to engage with companies and other stakeholders in this critical area.
Download final agenda.
Download meeting participant list.
For more information, please contact Melissa Powell at powell1@un.org
Global Compact to Delist Additional 203 “Inactive” Companies
New York, 28 December 2006
On 1 January 2007, the Global Compact Office will remove an additional 203 companies from its list of participants for failure to meet consecutive Communication on Progress (COP) deadlines. To ensure the quality of the initiative, all companies participating in the Global Compact are expected to develop an annual COP which describes the ways in which they are implementing the initiative’s ten principles.
“We are disappointed each time a company is delisted from the Global Compact, but this is a necessary measure to uphold the value of the good efforts being made by the majority of our participants,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact. “As a voluntary initiative, the Global Compact can only achieve its objective of a more sustainable, inclusive global marketplace if our participants are committed to the ten principles. Fortunately, we have thousands of participants that are working to bring meaningful change to society.”
In October 2006, the Global Compact took an important step to ensure the quality of the initiative by removing 335 “inactive” companies from its participant list. In the future, companies will be delisted on a daily basis instead of on a quarterly basis. With the addition of over 1,000 new participants in 2006, the Global Compact initiative continues its strong growth pattern and remains the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative.
The delisting of Global Compact participants is in accordance with the initiative’s Integrity Measures which state that any company that has missed two consecutive annual deadlines to submit a COP will be regarded "inactive" and marked accordingly on the Global Compact website. Companies listed as “inactive” are not permitted to participate in Global Compact events, and are barred from using the Global Compact name or logo.
Companies that are labeled "inactive" can regain their status as active participants by submitting a Communication on Progress.
Click here for the announcement of the first delisting in October 2006.
Click here for a list of inactive companies.
For more information please visit the Communication on Progress section on the Global Compact Website or contact Matthias Stausberg at stausberg@un.org
First-ever Board Meeting of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative
New York, 7 December 2006
Today, the UN Global Compact Office hosted the first Board meeting of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI is a coalition of governments, companies, NGOs, investors and international organizations tackling corruption in the oil, gas and mineral extraction sectors. Established in 2002, it seeks to overcome the so called “resource curse” in the extractive sector by encouraging members to become more accountable through the full publication and verification of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining activities.
The EITI’s efforts in the extractive sector are an important step in the Global Compact's goal to promote transparency in all business transactions, expressed in its tenth principle: “Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.” Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact said in his welcome remarks of the EITI Board meeting: “We encourage our business participants in the extractive sector to use this initiative as an implementation tool. It is an important step in our overall goal to eradicate corruption in all business transactions.”
During the meeting, the EITI Board decided that Oslo would be the headquarters for its new Secretariat. Setting up the Secretariat is critical in establishing EITI as the global yardstick for monitoring revenues from the oil, gas and mining sectors.
Countries and companies currently implementing the EITI include Azerbaijan, Ghana, Nigeria, Timor Leste, Republic of Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Sao Tome & Principe, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Niger, Peru, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Mongolia and Mali, Anglo American, BP, Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil, and Rio Tinto. Recently more countries including Yemen, Madagascar, Liberia and Cote D’Ivoire have committed to join. EITI is also supported by Transparency International, Open Society Institute, Revenue Watch and the Publish What You Pay Coalition.
For additional information about the EITI, visit www.eitransparency.org or contact Mr Yasser Mehmood at y-mehmood@dfid.gov.uk or Mr Jonas Moberg at jonaswmoberg@aim.com
Opportunities Building at Company-Investor Interface
New York, 28 November 2006
The Global Compact Office today released the final report of the recent "Who Cares Wins" conference, held on 27-28 September 2006, in Zurich at the Swiss Stock Exchange. More than 100 leading financiers and investment professionals gathered at the third-annual event, convened in partnership with the International Finance Corporation and the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs. The conference focused on the interface between investment analysts and corporations, with a number of senior executives of major companies in attendance.
Among the key insights and conclusions reflected in the report:
- A new phase has begun with respect to companies and investors dialoguing more actively on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues
- Until now the communication has focused almost exclusively on the SRI community; going forward it will have to also serve the needs of mainstream investors and be better integrated in normal investor relations communications
- While the communication at present is not very sophisticated, both sides are currently improving their approaches to ESG issues -- analysts are improving the quality of their research and models, while companies have projects under way to map ESG issues against value drivers and better tailor their communication to investor needs
- Markets have not yet reached full efficiency in their assimilation of ESG issues. The space is therefore full of opportunities for entrepreneurial "early-movers" on both the company and investor sides
"We continue to move towards a tipping point with respect to ESG issues finding their way into mainstream capital and investment markets", said Gavin Power, head of financial markets initiatives at the UN Global Compact. "As this report reveals, there is now a significant opportunity for companies to communicate -- through disclosures such as the Global Compact's Communications on Progress -- the ways in which ESG implementation efforts link to value drivers. Meanwhile, analysts and fund managers are encouraged to dialogue more actively with companies on these issues in order to broaden their analysis and, hopefully, improve long-range investment returns".
Download the full "Who Cares Wins" conference report.
For more information, please contact Gavin Power powerg@un.org
GC’s 4th International Learning Forum Held in Ghana
Accra, 24 November 2006
The UN Global Compact’s 4th International Learning Forum was held in Accra, Ghana from 22 – 24 November 2006, with approximately 200 participants from business, civil society, academia, government and labour in attendance. The first such meeting to be held in Africa, the Learning Forum aimed to further empower meeting participants to act as agents of change within their organizations and communities by advancing the Global Compact’s principles. With a strong presence of African corporate and civil society stakeholders, the Learning Forum also sought to contribute to the success and growth of the Global Compact across the continent.
The forum’s opening ceremony – chaired by Nana Dr. Samuel K. B. Asante, President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and Former Director of the UN Centre on Transnational Corporations, New York – featured: Honourable Allan Kyerematen, Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President’s Special Iniatives; Ms. Joyce Aryee, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Mines and Chairperson of the Ghana Steering Committee of the Learning Forum; Mr. Christophe Bahuet, UNDP Resident Representative A.I.; Mr. Klaus Leisinger, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Global Compact and CEO of the Novartis Foundation; and Mrs. Mary Robinson, President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative.
The three-day Learning Forum included a mix of formal issue-specific sessions and “open learning space” where participants convened their own small discussion groups on dozens of questions that, if answered, would help advance the corporate citizenship agenda. The formal sessions allowed forum participants to discuss case studies in five areas: conflict prevention and peace-building; company-community relations; collective action against corruption; business, human rights and labour rights; and partnerships for peace and development. The “open space” discussions covered a broad range of questions, including: What do we do about companies that do not “care”; How do I convince my CEO to join the Global Compact; How can business deal with small arms proliferation in fragile states; How can the corporate citizenship agenda better reach small and medium sized companies; What needs to be done to reach a continuous implementation of the MDGs; Should there be national policies on corporate citizenship; and How can we support Chinese companies that want to act responsibly in Africa?
Another highlight of the meeting was the launch of Africa Leads, a book of vividly illustrated, inspirational stories on globally responsible business being carried out across Africa. The book was developed by the Global Compact’s Regional Sub-Saharan Office and Unisa Press. To develop Africa Leads, more than 1,000 contributions were collected from across the continent. These were narrowed down to 87 published stories that tell of inspirational leaders who are putting ethics at the centre of their thoughts and actions; education initiatives that are thriving against all odds; and businesses that are creating economic and societal progress in a globally responsible and sustainable way. A detailed meeting report will be forthcoming. Further information is available at: www.ungc-learningforum.org.
For more information on the Global Compact’s 4th International Learning Forum, please contact Ellen Kallinowsky at kallinowsky@un.org or Carrie Hall at hallc@un.org
Microsoft Announces Participation in GC
New York, 22 November 2006
Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest software company, has announced its participation in the UN Global Compact – reinforcing the growth of the Compact among US-based companies.
In a letter to the Secretary-General, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steven A. Ballmer stated: “Microsoft’s mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. It is grounded in six core values that are the foundation of our business, and expresses our conviction that it takes more than great products to make a great company. We believe that our mission, like the ten principles of the Global Compact, while ambitious, is achievable.”
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, employs more than 71,000 people worldwide and operates subsidiaries in over 100 countries.
Microsoft becomes the latest in a string of major US companies to recently join the Global Compact – among them The Coca-Cola Company, Levi Strauss & Co., and Ebay.
“As a global company Microsoft has a truly impressive track record in corporate citizenship,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “Through the Compact, we hope Microsoft can extend its work as a responsible leader to advance socio-economic development to make positive impact in communities around the world.”
For more information please contact Mr. Gavin Power at powerg@un.org
Global Compact and ISO Sign Memorandum of Understanding
New York, 20 November 2006
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Global Compact Office. The purpose of this Memorandum is to encourage cooperation and mutual support between ISO and the Global Compact Office. Specifically, both parties agreed to collaborate extensively on the development, promotion and support of the new ISO International Standard on Social Responsibility, which will be consistent with the Global Compact’s ten principles. “This collaboration marks a major step forward for coherence in the field of social responsibility and lays a key foundation for the development and future success of the SR standard itself,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact Office.
About ISO
The ISO is a non-governmental organization which facilitates a network for the national standards institutes of 157 countries. The ISO is the world’s largest developer of technical standards and the ISO’s International Standards are used around the world by industrial and business organizations of all types, governments and other regulatory bodies, trade officials, etc. Please visit www.iso.org for more information.
Please click here to Download an explanatory note by Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Office.
For more information please contact Kola Badejo at badejo@un.org
First Investment Fund Dedicated to the UN Global Compact Launched
Zürich, 17 November 2006
The Guilé Foundation, in association with the United Nations Global Compact and De Pury Pictet Turrettini & Co., today launched the Guilé European Engagement Fund, the first fund dedicated to the UN Global Compact and its mission of advancing ten universal principles for responsible business in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
The fund is based on the concept of helping companies within its portfolio – all of which are Global Compact signatories – to achieve real impact on their corporate responsibility strategies, while at the same time adding shareholder value.
“What makes the Guilé European Engagement Fund a truly innovative investment product is the fact that it is the first investment fund so far whose selection criteria rest on mainstream financial analysis while being at the same time associated with clear ethical principles and constructive shareholder engagement,” said Charles Burrus, Founder and President of the Guilé Foundation.
“This fund is an important instrument in advancing the Global Compact’s principles in the financial world and in engaging companies on critical issues that are material to their operations,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact.
“Implementing the principles of the United Nations Global Compact can help companies address critical dilemmas and identify opportunities in a way that adds long-term value to the company and to society at large,” said Prof. Ernst A. Brugger, President BHP – Brugger and Partners Ltd., and CEO of the Sustainability Forum Zürich.
“Rather than proposing a static and conventional “best in class” approach, the Guilé European Engagement Fund is proposing a dynamic approach with the support of the Guilé Foundation and the legitimacy of the Global Compact. Rather than judging or condemning companies, the fund will support and help them seize all opportunities offered in the field of corporate social responsibility, with the aim of increasing value for all stakeholders, including shareholders,” said Melchior de Muralt, Partner, de Pury Pictet Turrettini & Co.
To promote CSR-related activities, the Guilé Foundation will engage companies in the fund’s portfolio in a dialogue and offer concrete services to those Global Compact participants that demonstrate excellent financial performance. The foundation has formed a “Guilé Engagement Team” of leading CSR experts, who will work in close collaboration with the UN Global Compact Office. Their services will include:
- Benchmarking: Companies will receive a yearly benchmark report on their ”Communication on Progress” (CoP).
- Policy and strategy options: Based on the results of the benchmarking, the Guilé Engagement Team offers the portfolio companies an internal workshop aimed at pointing out policy and strategy options emerging from strengths and weaknesses identified.
- Case Stories: The Guilé Engagement Team will support portfolio companies in tapping a large internal source of inspiration with the aim of highlighting innovative models to deal with risks and opportunities in the realm of the Global Compact.
- Multi-stakeholder dialogues and initiatives: As an impartial and experienced actor in multi-stakeholder processes, the Guilé Engagement Team will set up, facilitate and manage multi-stakeholder dialogues and initiatives to help address dilemmas or contested issues in a constructive manner.
Managed by de Pury Pictet Turrettini & Co, the Guilé European Engagement Fund has been registered in Luxembourg. Its portfolio consists of about 30-50 European companies which have already joined or are about to join the UN Global Compact. The fund is not yet registered in Switzerland and will be marketed only to professional investors. The fund has already been launched with seed money exceeding CHF 50 million.
About the Guilé Foundation
Founded in 1997, the Swiss-based Guilé Foundation focuses its activities on the ethical challenges of globalization facing entrepreneurs. In this fast-changing world, responsible managers increasingly have to deal with issues and challenges in which the quest for meaning, orientation, and values is of crucial importance. The Foundation aims at meeting these needs of entrepreneurs, managers and future leaders beyond fashion and ideologies. The content of the Foundation’s programme is guided by the principles of the UN Global Compact.
About de Pury Pictet Turrettini
de Pury Pictet Turrettini & Co. Ltd. (PPT) is an independent financial advisory firm founded in 1996 with two main activities: asset management and corporate finance. PPT today employs around 25 people in Geneva and Zurich.
For additional information, please contact Prof. Ernst A. Brugger, President BHP – Brugger and Partners Ltd at ernst.brugger@bruggerconsulting.ch, Melchior de Muralt, Partner, de Pury Pictet Turrettini & Co, at muralt@ppt.ch or Christophe Lamps, Rochat & Partners, clamps@rochat-pr.ch
Conference on “Peace through Commerce” Convenes at Notre Dame University
South Bend/Indiana, 13 November 2006
Academic experts, corporate executives, representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government policy makers from around the world are meeting at Notre Dame University in South Bend/Indiana on 12-14 November for a conference titled "Peace Through Commerce: Partnerships as the New Paradigm", to examine how, through commerce, businesses and NGOs can advance initiatives for peace.
The three-day peace conference opened with a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, delivered by Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Office. In his message, the Secretary-General underlined the importance of partnerships, stressing that “innovative partnerships with the private sector are helping to solve many of the world’s most pressing problems including poverty, hunger, water supply and HIV/AIDS.”
The opening keynote of the conference was delivered by Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman of Anglo-American and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the Global Compact.
“Peace Through Commerce” is sponsored by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the United Nations Global Compact, the Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business and Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
Download the Secretary-General’s message.
For more information visit the official Peace Through Commerce website , or contact Matthias Stausberg at stausberg@un.org
