In this year’s Special Edition of the UN Global Compact-Accenture Strategy CEO Study, the world’s largest program of CEO research on sustainability, we focus our attention on transforming partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following a decade of research into the views of business leaders worldwide, we examine the views of UN leaders. As the UN Secretary-General calls for enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and the private sector, we ask agency heads and partnership practitioners across the UN system: what will it take to scale up partnerships to bring about transformational impact on the SDGs?

Many studies show a positive correlation between employee relations and financial performance, which is especially relevant in a labour-intensive sector such as retail. This guide describes lessons learnt from a PRI-coordinated engagement that saw 24 investors managing US$1.5 trillion of assets work together to enhance 27 global retail companies’ performance and reporting on employee relations.

Provides guidance on how to initiate and implement anti-corruption collective action initiatives while showcasing various examples from collective action projects worldwide.

Strong rule of law is essential as a foundation for economic and social development. The Framework seeks to advance the rule of law by engaging responsible business to support the building and strengthening of legal frameworks and accountable institutions – serving as a complement to, not substitute for, government action.

This publication identifies a range of concrete actions that Governments and international organizations can undertake to better assist private-sector efforts to promote effective conflict-sensitive business practices.

Provides an overview of the Global Compact's Collection Action Project in partnership with five Global Compact Local Networks in Brazil, Egypt, India, Nigeria and South Africa.

Investors are increasingly looking at ESG factors to minimize risks and help identify business opportunities. Join the discussion between a LEAD company and the Principles for Responsible Investment on the value of ESG considerations. During the discussion 2 key resources will be highlighted; the recently launched PRI guide '"Practical Guide to ESG integration for Equity Investment" aimed to help investors on how to use ESG data, and the Value Driver Model tool which utilizes key business metrics to determine the return on investment of corporate sustainability activities.

Coping, shifting, changing features recommendations focused on measures that companies can adopt to address the problems caused by market short-termism, and actions that investors can take to support companies in those efforts

Serves as a step-by-step roadmap for maximizing the transformative potential of partnerships.

Assists UN practitioners and corporate representatives to effectively design, implement and evaluate UN-business partnerships.

Represents more than a decade of research on sustainable business. Together with the UN Global Compact Progress Report, it forms the world’s most comprehensive research to date on business contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2019 study draws on insights from more than 1,000 CEOs from 21 industries and 99 countries, including over 100 in-depth interviews, and nearly 1,600 senior business leaders who responded to the UN Global Compact implementation survey.

This paper articulates the need to allow companies to contribute to water management efforts, to assist them instead of excluding them, and to insist that they operate in a manner that justifies their presence and is welcomed by local stakeholders.