Action Platform Workshops

The UN Global Compact will be hosting a series of workshops for Action Platform participants around the Leaders Summit.

Wednesday, 20 September

9:00 – 11:00: Breakthrough Innovation for the SDGs Meeting

Breakthrough Innovation for the SDGs Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: Midtown

The Sustainable Development Goals create bold vision for peace and shared prosperity on a healthy planet. To accelerate progress on this most relevant agenda, business will need to raise their sustainability ambitions and move beyond incremental innovation. The Breakthrough Innoveation for the SDGs session will be a hands-on workshop in which participants will learn about the emerging business models, disruptive technologies and mindsets necessary to achieve the SDGs. Participants will additionally walk away with the Breakthrough Brief — a practical tool designed to help stakeholders begin raising the sustainability ambitions of internal teams.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Rosedel Davies-Adewebi (rdaviesadewebi@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

9:00 – 13:00: Pathways to Low-Carbon & Resilient Development Meeting

Pathways to Low-Carbon & Resilient Development Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: Green

In preparation for COP 23, the Pathways to Low-Carbon & Resilient Development workshop will convene platform participants to shape how business can effectively contribute to accelerating climate and sustainable development ambition and implementation. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in roundtable discussions with key stakeholders to identify the role of business in effectively tackling global climate challenges.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to caring4climate@unglobalcompact.org. Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

9:00 – 13:00: Reporting on the SDGs Meeting

Reporting on the SDGs Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: New York

In connection with "An Analysis of the Goals and Targets" and the "Reporting Handbook" to be launched at the Leaders Summit, the Reporting on the SDGs workshop will feature investors' perspectives on the SDGs and provide guidance on how companies can align their SDG reporting efforts with the expectations and needs of investors. The Platform's advisory committee will also meet to provide input and guidance on the planned deliverables for year two (2018) of the Platform.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Bernhard Frey (frey@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

9:00 – 18:00: Financial Innovation for the SDGs Meeting

Financial Innovation for the SDGs Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: Lincoln

The Financial Innovation for the SDGs workshop will gather a cross-section of the investment value chain — including corporations, financial intermediaries and asset owners — to explore solutions for large-scale collaboration and coordination. Join us in identifying new business and financial models, leveraging existing investment asset classes, reducing the risk and increasing the scale of SDG investments, and matching the risk, return and impact profiles of investments and investors.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Jerome Lavigne-Delville (lavigne-delville@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

14:00 – 16:00: Decent Work in Global Supply Chains Meeting

Decent Work in Global Supply Chains Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: Murray Hill West

Supply chains continue to be one of the most important levers for business to create positive impact in the world, with an estimated 80% of global trade passing through supply chains. However, failures at all levels within global supply chains have contributed to decent work deficits and the undermining of fundamental labour rights. To mark the launch of the Decent Work in Global Supply Chains platform, this workshop will bring together companies, partners and issue experts to outline how the platform can support solutions to address one of the most urgent challenges facing companies and workers today.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Anita Househam (househam@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

14:00 – 16:00: Business for Humanitarian Action and Peace Meeting

Business for Humanitarian Action and Peace Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: New York

To mark the launch of our new Business for Humanitarian Action and Peace platform, the UN Global Compact and UN OCHA — with the support of other partners — will convene a session on "The Future of Humanitarian Response". With presentations by leading experts and opportunities for interactive discussion, this session will outline how humanitarian response can be improved and what collaboration between the humanitarian community and the private sector will look like in the future. As technology has become a core element of humanitarian operations, we will zoom into areas in which the private sector has a crucial role to play such as digital identification and payments, data sharing and emergency connectivity.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Tiina Mylly (mylly@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

14:00 – 16:00: Water Stewardship for the SDGs Meeting

Water Stewardship for the SDGs Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: Midtown

Today's water challenges present obstacles and opportunities for businesses. The new Water Security through Stewardship platform will help participants understand the nature of water risks and explore how to respond in ways that ensure the long-term sustainability of water resources vital to businesses and society. Join this discussion to help shape the platform and work with your peers to investigate how the business community can advance water stewardship practices.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Mai-Lan Ha (ha@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.


16:30 - 18:00: Moving from Principles to Practice: The WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: New York

The Moving from Principles to Practice: The WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool session will enable participants to learn about and explore the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Gender Gap Analysis Tool — a free, business-friendly, and strictly confidential tool that supports companies of all sectors and sizes to translate the WEPs into action. The tool helps companies identify strengths and gaps in existing gender equality policies and practices as well as identify opportunities and resources for improvement.

This session will showcase the benefits of using the tool, provide a preview of the platform and interactive results, and highlight company experiences in using the tool.This session is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Sadhvi Saran (saran@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

Thursday, 21 September

16:30 – 19:30: Health is Everyone's Business Meeting

Health is Everyone's Business Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown - Meeting Room: New York

To mark the launch of our new Health is Everyone's Business platform, existing and potential partners are invited to explore the role of business in promoting health and well-being for all. Structured around "planetary health" — the complex symbiosis between environmental challenges and human health — this workshop will engage participants in a roundtable discussion on the importance of corporate responsibility for Goal 3 in the workplace, marketplace and community.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Carlotte Ersboll (ersboll@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.

16:30 – 19:00: The Blueprint for SDG Leadership Meeting

The Blueprint for SDG Leadership Meeting

Venue: Leaders Summit - New York Hilton Midtown -- Meeting Room : Lincoln

Following the launch of the Blueprint for Business Leadership on the SDGs at the Leaders Summit, workshop participants are invited to participate in this special session on how to leverage the Blueprint to inspire leading SDG action at scale. Participants will have the chance to brainstorm how best the Blueprint can be shared and implemented globally.

This workshop is by invitation only. For more information and to request an invitation, please reach out to Caitlin Casey (casey@unglobalcompact.org). Due to limited capacity, registration is on first-come, first-served basis.