At the Global Compact, the search is on for the 2024 class of SDG Pioneers. It's time to celebrate the
individuals who are using business as a force for good to advance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through their own company or by mobilizing other businesses, SDG Pioneers are helping to reach one or more of
the SDGs while also contributing to business success.
Are you setting ambitious SDG targets, at the right scale and impact at a company that participates in the UN
Global Compact? If so, we want to hear your story.
When responding to all questions in the application form, please be sure to clearly communicate
in detail your particular contributions and actions taken as an employee that have
supported your company’s contribution(s) to the SDGs.
Before completing the application, please review the eligibility criteria below to ensure you are eligible.
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To be eligible, applicants must come from companies with active status as participants of the Global Compact.
To maintain active status, companies must submit their Communication on Progress (CoP) for 2024 within the
reporting time frame of 1 April to 31 July. Subsidiaries can participate if their parent company meets this
obligation. To avoid disrupting the Pioneers application process, companies are strongly encouraged to submit
their CoP by 1 June 2024. Failure to report by 31 July will disqualify a Pioneers application.
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A change in CoP status subsequent to being recognized as a Local and/or Global SDG Pioneer may result in
losing consideration for the SDG Pioneer title.
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Companies must have joined the UN Global Compact prior to 1 October 2023.
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Global Compact Network Board Chairs and Board Members are not eligible to apply, given their core role and
influence at the Global Compact Network. However, other representatives from the company represented by the
Board Chair and Board Members are welcome to apply. For Expansion Countries, Leadership Council members are
also not eligible to apply, given their influence. However, other representatives from the companies
represented by the Leadership Council members are welcome to apply.
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If a representative of a Global Compact participating company has been part of the SDG Pioneers External
Review Committee (e.g., member of the LN Board), this person will be asked to step down from their Committee
role if a candidate from the same company will be applying to the same Pioneer local round.
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Any individual who has been part of the SDG Pioneers External Review Committee will need to wait out for one
cycle before submitting an application to the Local or Global round of the SDG Pioneers.
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Previous Local or Global SDG Pioneers can apply for another year of recognition, but a thorough review of
their application will be required to ensure it covers different activities/ projects than in the previous
application. Additionally, if the former SDG Pioneer sat on the External Review Committee, this person will
need to wait out one cycle since having covered that role before being able to submit an application again.
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Global Compact Networks cannot recognize individuals from the same company within five years.