COMMUNICATION ON PROGRESS

Submit your Communication on Progress

A New Way to Communicate your Progress is Coming 2023

We are excited to announce the launch of a new Communication on Progress (CoP) platform coming in 2023. The enhanced Communication on Progress offers many benefits to participants.

With the introduction of the new Communication on Progress, we will transition from a narrative format to a standardized questionnaire supported by a digital platform. All participants will be required to disclose their progress using the new Communication on Progress system beginning in 2023.

Why the new CoP is better

The new Communication on Progress will result in improved data that drives sustainability progress and enables participating companies like yours to:

  • Build credibility and brand value by showing their commitment to the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Measure and demonstrate progress to stakeholders on the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals, in a consistent and harmonized way.
  • Receive insight, learn and continuously improve performance by identifying gaps, accessing guidance and setting sustainability goals.
  • Compare progress against peers with access to one of the largest sources of free, public and comparable corporate sustainability data.

We will also introduce a universal submission period that runs from February through May each year starting in 2023.

Only Two Requirements

Step 1: Complete Online
Questionnaire

Step 2: e-Sign CEO Statement
of Continued Support

Submitting your 2022 Communication on Progress

For companies not participating in the Early Adopter Programme, submissions in 2022 should be made in alignment with the current CoP policy and deadlines.

Submitting an annual Communication on Progress (CoP) is at the heart of your company’s commitment to the UN Global Compact and provides valuable information to your stakeholders. The overall format of a CoP is flexible and CoPs can be prepared in any language as long as they meet the minimum requirements below. Because our participants are all at different stages in their sustainability journeys, CoPs are categorized into three differentiation levels based on the depth of their disclosure. We also collaborate with other frameworks — for example, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) — to ensure that the standards are aligned and that meeting the requirements of one framework helps to comply with the others.

Learn how to create and submit your CoP »

Three Minimum Requirements

The current CoP Policy sets out key information including the minimum requirements for each CoP:

  1. A statement by the Chief Executive expressing continued support for the UN Global Compact and renewing the participant’s ongoing commitment to the initiative.
  2. A description of practical actions the company has taken or plans to take to implement the Ten Principles in each of the four areas (human rights, labour, environment, anti-corruption).
  3. A measurement of outcomes.

The Communication on Progress(CoP) Policy is available in multiple languages in our library. The updated CoP policy will be published in 2022 in preparation for implementation of the enhanced CoP in 2023.

Differentiation Levels

Based on a company’s self-assessment, each CoP falls into one of the following differentiation levels:

  • GC Advanced: CoPs that qualify as GC Active and, in addition, cover the company’s implementation of advanced criteria and best practices
  • GC Active: CoPs that meet the minimum requirements
  • GC Learner: CoPs that do not meet one or more of the minimum requirements

The Communication on Progress(CoP) Policy is available in multiple languages in our library. The updated CoP policy will be published in 2022 in preparation for implementation of the enhanced CoP in 2023.

How are CoPs Used?

CoPs are made publicly available on the website of the UN Global Compact at the moment they are submitted by the participant, enabling companies to communicate their efforts to support and uphold the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. Recent growth — both in terms of the sheer number of CoPs submitted and their sophistication — is largely driven by demand from key stakeholders including investors, civil society, Governments and consumers. CoPs provide stakeholders with information to make informed choices about the companies they interact with and stakeholder vetting is a cornerstone of transparency and disclosure as a means of driving performance. Use the participant search to find any CoP.