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The enhanced Communication on Progress
We are excited to announce the launch of a new Communication on Progress (CoP) platform effective in 2024. The enhanced Communication on Progress offers many benefits to business participants.
The submission period for the mandatory 2024 Communication on Progress (CoP) will open on 1 April and close on 31 July 2024. The 2024 CoP is a mandatory requirement and must be completed by all UN Global Compact business participants. Please refer to the 2024 CoP Policy, 2024 CoP Frequently Asked Questions, and additional resources at the bottom of this page for additional information.
Prepare for the Communication on Progress
Learn more about the requirements, deadlines, and how to best prepare the CoP:
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Benefits of the enhanced Communication on Progress
The enhanced CoP enables participating companies of the UN Global Compact to:
- Measure and demonstrate progress to stakeholders and the public on the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals in a consistent and harmonized way;
- Build credibility and brand value by showing their commitment to the Ten Principles, and the Sustainable Development Goals;
- Receive insights, learn, and continuously improve performance by helping to identify gaps and inform goal-setting to improve sustainability performance year over year;
- Compare performance against peers through access to one of the largest sources of free, public, and comparable corporate sustainability data.
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Step 2: Know your deadlines
Step 1: Understand your requirements
The enhanced Communication on Progress (CoP) consists of two elements* that must be submitted through the CoP digital platform:
- CEO Statement of Continued Support, publicly expressing your company’s ongoing commitment to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact at the highest level. The statement is a standardized template that is signed electronically.
- CoP Questionnaire, reporting on corporate action and performance related to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
*For the 2024 reporting year, a sustainability report uploaded through the digital platform can be submitted in lieu of the CoP Questionnaire.
Step 2: Know your deadlines
The 2024 CoP submission period is 1 April at 9 AM (ET) to 31 July 2024 at 5 PM (ET).
The CoP is a mandatory requirement for all business participants of the UN Global Compact.
New joiners do not need to submit a CoP until the year after joining. For example, participants joining the Global Compact in 2024 do not need to submit a CoP until 2025.
Participants, excluding new joiners, who fail to submit a 2024 CoP within the submission period will be listed as ‘Non-communicating’ on their participant profile.
‘Non-communicating’ participants who do not submit a late CoP by 31 December 2024 will be ‘Delisted’ from the Global Compact on 1 January 2025.
Step 3: Prepare your report
- ✓ Confirm your CEO’s continued support of the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.
- ✓ Review the CoP Questionnaire to understand the questions asked and data collection needs.
- ✓ Use the CoP Guidebook for support in answering the questionnaire, such as calculation guidance and a glossary of key terms.
- ✓ Begin your data collection process on time using CoP support materials on the CoP Academy page and the CoP Data Compilation Checklist (see p. 74).
- ✓ Ensure that you have access to the UN Global Compact dashboard. Refer to the user’s guide to learn how to request credentials.
Step 4: Complete and submit your CoP
Participants must submit the annual CoP through the CoP digital platform, accessible from the participant dashboard.
Following the instructions on the digital platform, participants must submit a signed CEO Statement of Continued Support and the CoP Questionnaire and/or a sustainability report.
Participants are welcome to include supplementary materials in their CoP submission. Please note that such materials, along with the rest of the CoP, will be publicly available upon submission.
Once submitted, the CoP will be available to download as a PDF file by the participant through the digital platform. Additionally, the CoP will be publicly available to view on each respective participant profile.
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