Examines the aggregate results of companies using the Women's Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool with an aim to provide insights on global corporate performance on gender equality and and showcase the efforts of partners and other stakeholders to drive women's empowerment around the world. The report concludes that while corporate support for gender equality is strong, businesses have yet to introduce measurable targets and robust accountability mechanisms to ensure progress. 

Businesses are facing increasing demands from their stakeholders to be more transparent about their practices and exposure to risks related to their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Pushing against the trend for more transparency are the costs of data collection, requirements for assurance, exposure to legal jeopardy, and legitimate perceptions of reputational risk. This report navigates this ‘transparency dilemma’, to build a better understanding of the risk/return profile of transparency and thereby help companies to balance competing interests.

Outlines the opportunities for the ESG bond market to secure capital for ocean-related projects and companies that have made, or are planning to make, a significant contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Ocean Principles of the UN Global Compact serve as a baseline for issuers to ensure they meet the minimum expectations of a holistic approach to sustainability aligned with the SDGs.

Defines the unique characteristics possessed by leaders who are integrating sustainability across strategy, operations and stakeholder engagement and what this means for how CEOs, board members and executives are selected. Based on interviews with Board Members and CEOs, this white paper makes clear that the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires transformational business leaders who understand the need to look beyond near-term profits and embrace their role as change agents — both within and beyond their firms and broader ecosystems. This report is available in English and Chinese.

The CFO Principles supplement the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles to support companies in the transition to sustainable development and to leverage corporate finance and investments toward the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).    

This publication establishes the initial set of SDG Ambition benchmarks that challenge organizations to set more ambitious goals and targets in the areas in which business is positioned to have a substantial impact. Business leaders can use this document to support their strategy and set goals ambitious enough to deliver the SDGs by 2030.

Identifies opportunities for blue bonds to secure funding for ocean-related projects and companies that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The guidance outlines a number of pillars of best practices, as well as benchmarks and frameworks for companies interested in issuing a blue bond aligned with a sustainability strategy to advance a healthy, productive ocean

Global Compact Network Netherlands, with the support of employers' organisation VNO-NCW, carried out a study into stakeholder involvement by Dutch companies. This research shows that companies that actively involve their stakeholders in their organization are successful in implementing solutions to the societal challenges, as expressed by the SDGs. Political and social stakeholders are also expected to be more involved in the business. In this publication Global Compact Network Netherlands provides a model and a practical questionnaire for companies to raise their stakeholder engagement to a higher level.

This Guide equips Australian businesses with the the practical knowledge, tools and skills to tackle existing and future global challenges and accelerate their contributions to the SDGs. The Guide highlights the need for business to play an active role in achieving the SDGs and provides practical guidance and examples to inspire further action. This is through the insights and experiences of many Australian companies leading in their commitments and actions to sustainable business. A guide for Australian senior leaders will provide you with: Better understanding of the SDGs, the benefits the SDGs can provide for business, and the need for business to play an active role in achieving the SDGs; Practical tools and examples to support business leaders to create, demonstrate, measure and communicate their commitment, leadership and actions to achieving the SDGs.

This guide explores the role of the bond market – the largest asset class in the global financial markets – in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With US$ 6.7 trillion of annual issuance, bonds can provide a cheap, reliable and scalable source of capital for a variety of stakeholders involved in the implementation of Agenda 2030, including companies, governments, cities and public-private partnerships. SDG bonds also provide an answer to the lack of SDG investment opportunities for institutional investors. A diverse portfolio of SDG Bonds, including sovereign, municipal, corporate and project bonds across developed and emerging markets could fulfill mainstream investors’ growing demand for impact while matching their risk-return appetite. This publication is available in English and Spanish

Provides practical guidance to companies on how to use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an inspiration for innovation and orient their innovation processes to better address the SDGs. Featuring step-by-step guidance and illustrative examples of companies leveraging new business models and disruptive technologies to advance the SDGs, the Framework is a toolkit for any company to leverage the SDGs to uncover new products, services and business model opportunities.  

The paper discusses how the adoption of pro-growth policies tends to result in lower levels of poverty, especially through opportunities for job creation. In particular, the paper calls for policies that promote greater access to credit and the protection of minority investors in order to reduce such levels of poverty. It also highlights the symbiotic relationship between a number of the Sustainable Development Goals, thus emphasising the importance of integrating the SDGs into government policies.