While data shows closing the gender gap would increase the GDP of countries around the world and advance sustainable development globally, there are still significant legal barriers to women's economic empowerment. To realistically achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, governments are encouraged to remove legal barriers restricting women’s participation in the global economy and to unlock the full potential of women and girls around the world. This webinar introduces the findings of the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2016 report which found that approximately 90% of 173 countries have at least one legal barrier restricting economic opportunities for women. The discussion highlights the business opportunity and imperative to promote good governance and the equal rights of women and men required to create an enabling environment for inclusive and sustainable business growth.

Drawing on insights from the SDG Industry Matrix, and on the heels of the historic Paris Agreement on climate change, this Climate Extract identifies industry specific ideas for climate action. Although achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is inextricably linked with climate action, this Extract focuses on SDGs 7, 12 and 13. It profiles opportunities to create ‘shared value’, which in the context of the SDGs represents the coming together of market potential, societal demands and policy action to create a more sustainable and inclusive path to economic growth, prosperity and well-being.

Showcases industry-specific examples and ideas for corporate action related to the SDGs. Presented in a series of publications, each matrix highlights bold pursuits and decisions made by diverse companies for each SDG.

Recommends good practices for developing water stewardship initiatives in an inclusive and transparent manner that ensures sustainable water management. The guide was developed by the Global Compact, Water Integrity Network (WIN), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Water Witness International, Partnerships in Practice and Pegasys, and includes an interactive online tool.

Sets out a simple and thorough process for any company, but particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to get started with identifying its potential human rights impacts on those people directly affected by its activities, and those whose lives it touches through its relationships with suppliers or other parties. It provides tools and approaches to understand what the business already does to address these impacts, and where it can improve.

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

Provides companies with practical measures on how to bring a human rights lens to their existing corporate water stewardship practices. The report is designed to be applicable to a broad range of corporate water users, and underscores the important nature of effective stakeholder engagement throughout the process.

Jointly hosted by the UN Global Compact and the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, this webinar will examined the human dimensions of climate change. The webinar explored how climate change undermines human rights, including the right to adequate food, water and health, as well as the disproportionate impact climate change has on vulnerable groups such as women and children. This webinar provides an opportunity to discuss climate change through a human rights lens and will review various ways that business can respect human rights when taking action on climate change. (2015)

Guides companies on how they can align their strategies as well as measure and manage their contribution to the realization of the SDGs. The SDG Compass presents five steps that assist companies in maximizing their contribution to the SDGs: understanding the SDGs, defining priorities, goal setting, integrating sustainability and reporting.

An assessment tool that enables companies and civil society partners to understand corporate impacts on multi-dimensional poverty. As a tool to help implement the SDGs, the Poverty Footprint provides a comprehensive overview of factors that influence poverty, and it emphasizes stakeholder engagement and partnership between companies and civil society as a means for establishing pro-poor business strategies.

Lays out five defining features of corporate sustainability, which the Global Compact asks businesses to strive towards – looking at why each element is essential, how business can move forward and what the Global Compact is doing to help.

Demonstrates how companies can help to advance the SDGs by operating responsibly in alignment with universal principles and finding opportunities to innovate to address societal challenges. Through a commitment to the UN Global Compact, companies are taking the first step to contribute to achieving the SDGs and have access to a range of tools to scale up their efforts.