A just transition according to the ILO means greening the economy by simultaneously addressing the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind. The objective of this brief is to highlight the important role of adaptation action for large multinational corporations that aim to achieve a just transition. Its focus is on how businesses can adapt to minimise climate change risks and impacts in a just and equitable manner. The brief outlines seven recommendations for businesses to advance a just transition for climate adaptation. The business brief is available in English and Spanish.

2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed jointly by UNICEF, UN Global Compact and Save the Children in consultation with children, businesses, investors, governments, civil society, trade unions, national human rights institutions and United Nations entities. The joint report “Charting the Course: Embedding children’s rights in responsible business conduct” elaborates key achievements and main gaps that need to be addressed to accelerate impact for children through business action and policy decisions. The report lays the foundation for raising the bar towards making business fit for children.  

  This guide is a collection of best practices, common challenges, solutions and experiences from the seafood sector to support companies to set a science-based emission reduction target with the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). As the seafood sector works towards a low carbon and sustainable future, collective action across geographies and supply chains will be key to reaching these goals.

A just transition to a net zero future is an important undertaking, requiring bold actions from all parties — and effort from corporates is definitely an important one. The UN Global Compact helps businesses to align with its Ten Principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has published this whitepaper to plot a roadmap for corporates to reach net zero, facilitating the private sector to play its role in the pathway.

  The SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard (also referred to as the Net-Zero Standard) provides guidance, criteria, and recommendations to support corporates in setting net-zero targets through the SBTi. The main objective of this standard is to provide a standardized and robust approach for corporates to set net-zero targets that are aligned with climate science. The intended audience for this document is corporates with more than 500 employees that wish to commit to setting net-zero targets through the SBTi.

This factsheet from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), prepared by CDP and the UN Global Compact builds on our Taking the Temperature report ahead of the G7 Summit in June 2021. It finds that across the G20, 4215 companies have disclosed climate targets to CDP but just 20% of these are science-based targets in line with Paris Agreement goals. This is made up of 2999 companies in the G7 and 1216 companies in the G13. In the G7, 25% of targets are science-based, compared to just 6% in the G13.

Making Global Goals Local Business - Georgia was a platform for business, UN and Government to foster multi-stakeholder dialogues and yield new partnerships. Following the event, Global Compact Local Networks Georgia, Ukraine, Serbia, North Macedonia, Croatia, Russia, Poland and Turkey have collected case studies featuring effort from the private sector to deliver significant cuts in carbon emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy. This publication co-developed by the Local Networks compiles these examples demonstrating a growing momentum in the region towards net-zero emissions and a green transition in Eastern Europe.

This new report from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), prepared by CDP and the UN Global Compact, takes stock of corporate climate ambition in G7 countries, assessing the temperature ratings of the leading equity indexes of these markets. Analysis is based on emissions reduction target data submitted by companies to CDP and the SBTi. It focuses on mid-term rather than long-term target data, given the urgency to halve emissions by 2030. The report frames science-based target setting as the solution to bridge the ambition gap, outlining four levers to unlock breakthrough climate mitigation action through science-based targets.

This UN Global Compact action-oriented narrative synthesizes the key insights gathered through a series of webinars organized in 2020 on the climate-nature-health nexus, in the framework of the Business Ambition for Climate and Health Action Platform. Reminding the business case for taking integrated climate and health action, it provides guidance on how companies can deliver climate and health co-benefits by pointing towards relevant action-oriented initiatives. It focuses on the five areas that were addressed by the webinar series : air pollution, nature and biodiversity, food systems, water resilience, and the future of work and just transition.

This report shows that companies with science-based targets are delivering on large-scale emissions reductions. Five years on from the Paris Agreement, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) analysed the emissions of a group of 338 companies whose climate targets have been approved by the SBTi as aligned with climate science and the goals of the Paris Agreement. This is the first ever study to look at how setting science-based targets correlates with corporate emissions reductions and the extent to which companies are actually delivering on those targets. Target-setting companies have successfully reduced their emissions by 25% since 2015, a difference of 302 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the same as the annual emissions from 78 coal-fired power plants.

A new strategy that spells out our ambition to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the SDGs through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change.

Limiting average global warming to 1.5°C requires an enormous transformation of our economy and energy systems. The movement of companies, countries, cities, and investors setting ambitious net zero targets and leading this transformation is building momentum faster than ever. Though progress is being made, climate action must continue to be accelerated and accompanied by efforts to address the various environmental and societal challenges we face. In the UN Global Compact Network UK’s latest Briefing, we explain how businesses can be at the forefront of this growing movement and why it is important to continue raising ambition and take immediate action.