A dramatic rise of interlinked global challenges is forcing business executives to navigate new levels of uncertainty. The war in Ukraine is producing alarming cascading effects across a world already impacted by COVID-19 and climate change. The risks of generations lost, as well as waves of food insecurity, energy shortages, unfolding debt crises, and social unrest are very real. In this context of uncertainty, more and more chief executive officers (CEOs) are stepping into broader leadership capacities, propelled by business necessity and by evolving societal expectations of their role. The UN Global Compact has compiled perspectives from CEOs across the globe, to provide policymakers, companies, and the public with practical insights into business leadership in today’s novel and dynamic operating environment. This report describes how today’s CEOs face complex challenges to their operations—and to their sustainability agenda.

To address the increasing risk of catastrophic climate change, provide sustainable energy to the 733 million people who currently lack access to electricity, and to power sustainable development, there is an urgent need to transition to renewable energy. Business has a critical role to play in ensuring this transition is just and leaves no one behind. This business brief outlines the context of emerging national just transition policies, provides an advocacy agenda for businesses to influence policies responsibly and includes examples of company best practices and success factors. Download today to learn the 10 recommendations for businesses to advance the just transition within and beyond their companies in support of the goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. The business brief is available in English and Spanish.

On 27 June 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal, the United Nations Global Compact, the High-Level Climate Champions, the Ocean and Climate Platform, UNFCCC and the Governments of Portugal, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, convened chief executives from businesses, financial institutions, NGOs, UN organizations and government representatives for a high-level meeting on the ocean and climate. This meeting focused on the implementation of solutions at the ocean-climate nexus.  The following document provides background on the ocean-climate nexus, highlights recent developments in ocean-based climate action and outlines the main takeaways from the meeting. This document also lays the foundation for a set of short and mid-term targets, referred to here as Blue Breakthroughs, being developed with the ambition to be presented at COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

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 publication highlights the joint actions public and private institutions can take to improve coordination of climate action projects in Africa. Read this roundtable perspective to learn the ways African businesses can help shape the conversations around sustainable development by leveraging their expertise and experience.

  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 Status Report showcases and celebrates the achievements of the Science Based Targets initiative's Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign and its contribution to a net zero world over the past two and a half years, while outlining what is ahead: transforming credible commitments into tangible actions and reporting on progress.

This roadmap presents a framework for climate-smart MSP aiming to respond to the urgency of decarbonization that is needed to meet the meet the Paris Agreement temperature goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Specifically, it strives to support a more rapid, socially acceptable and just implementation of offshore renewable energy as one of the key clean energy sources for getting to net zero as quickly as possible. As such, the roadmap encourages not only an increase of offshore renewable energy — with offshore wind energy being the most promising option currently — but also its co-use with other climate-smart uses of the ocean and climate solutions — such as natural carbon sinks and nature restoration, low-trophic aquaculture and other innovative forms of renewable energy.

Positions seaweed, or marine macroalgae, as a significant nature-based climate solution with large scaling potential that can directly sequester carbon and indirectly displace greenhouse gas emissions in numerous ways, with clear economic and ecological co-benefits that make it a form of “charismatic carbon” and a holistic nature-based climate solution. This vision statement is a core deliverable of the UN Global Compact "Blue Road to COP 26."