Communication on Progress
Reporting to stakeholders in a transparent and public manner is fundamental for companies committed to sustainability. Your company’s annual Communication on Progress (CoP) is a key component of your commitment to the UN Global Compact. To streamline reporting on the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals and support an evolving reporting marketplace, the UN Global Compact has launched a new CoP process. Click on the One Pager on the right, to find a summary of the new CoP process.
Communication on Progress
As of 2023, the UN Global Compact introduces a new Communication on Progress (CoP) to enable participating companies to understand, measure, track and disclose their performance on the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. The new framework transitions from a narrative format to a standardized questionnaire supported by a digital platform. All business participants will be required to disclose their progress using the new Communication on Progress system beginning in 2023. Relevant information and documents can be found further below.
Overall, the CoP is designed to add value to participants in several ways:
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Build credibility and brand value by showing their commitment to the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Measure and demonstrate progress to stakeholders on the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals, in a consistent and harmonized way.
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Receive insight, learn, and continuously improve performance by identifying gaps, accessing guidance and setting sustainability goals.
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Compare progress against peers with access to one of the largest sources of free, public and comparable corporate sustainability data.
Two Requirements
Submission Period
With the new CoP, a universal submission period will be introduced that runs from 27 March to 30 June each year.
A business participant will be designated as Non-Communicating when it fails to submit the CoP within the submission period (30 June). There will be no grace period and extensions for participants. If a non-communicating participant fails to submit a CoP within six months of becoming non-communicating (by 31 December of each year), it will be delisted. Further details can be found in the CoP Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recommended Resources and Documents
Upcoming Events (in English)
For CoP events in German, please visit the website of the UN Global Compact Network Germany.
If you need further information or have questions, do not hesitate to contact us