Businesses are facing increasing demands from their stakeholders to be more transparent about their practices and exposure to risks related to their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Pushing against the trend for more transparency are the costs of data collection, requirements for assurance, exposure to legal jeopardy, and legitimate perceptions of reputational risk. This report navigates this ‘transparency dilemma’, to build a better understanding of the risk/return profile of transparency and thereby help companies to balance competing interests.

Helps companies understand indigenous peoples’ rights and their relevance for business. The webinar focuses on recently released Global Compact resources on the rights of indigenous peoples. The webinar features emerging trends and practical guidance contained in these resources, as well as stakeholder perspectives and company examples.

An independent review of 2008 CEO Water Mandate activities by Arthur D. Little.

An assessment tool that enables companies and civil society partners to understand corporate impacts on multi-dimensional poverty. As a tool to help implement the SDGs, the Poverty Footprint provides a comprehensive overview of factors that influence poverty, and it emphasizes stakeholder engagement and partnership between companies and civil society as a means for establishing pro-poor business strategies.

Provides a list of concrete actions that different stakeholder groups — including business, the investor community, Governments, the UN and civil society — can take to scale up business action and investment in high-risk areas. It also provides an overview of eight multi-stakeholder initiatives that support stakeholders in scaling up these actions.

Outlines ways in which business can help uphold children’s rights and support and promote their well-being during humanitarian crises. It highlights the urgency and need to reach children in humanitarian crises and outlines the positive and negative impacts of business on children. It also aims to inspire action and stimulate learning by providing examples of how business can support and advance children’s rights and well-being.

Provides a collection of case studies from participants of the Global Compact Cities Programme.

This document outlines contributions made to the MDGs by a group of 22 Global Compact participants from seven countries and reviews the Global Compact principles and their relation with the MDGs.

Provides an overview of the current and potential role of institutional investors, companies, banks and foundations in the design and implementation of a financing strategy for global sustainability.

Reports on trends and policy options regarding the role of Governments in promoting corporate sustainability and engaging the private sector in achieving the MDGs.

Examines how institutional investors across the world are beginning to interact with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and paint an early picture of investors’ current and future plans to engage with these Goals. The study also identifies barriers investors face to supporting the SDGs, and provides recommendations for how these could be overcome.

Seeks to improve the understanding of environmental, social and governance issues in commodity investments with a view to identifying and promoting best practices in this area.