AccountAbility-UN Global Compact Study Demonstrates Value of Voluntary Corporate Sustainability Commitments

(New York, 6 June 2013) – Today, AccountAbility released the findings of a research initiative - “Growing into Your Sustainability Commitments: A Roadmap for Impact and Value Creation” - conducted in partnership with the UN Global Compact that provides an actionable framework for helping companies get the most out of their voluntary commitments to sustainability.

The research was undertaken in response to the significant rise in the number and scope of voluntary environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. As a result, companies find themselves navigating through a variety of different performance standards, and reporting requirements. Without an effective roadmap, and given the impacts in terms of risk, resources, and reputation, companies are now asking how they can best select, engage, and participate in these commitments to enhance performance. 

“Given the proliferation of commitments and heightened expectations that companies join them,” said Ted Grant, AccountAbility’s Director of Research and Development, “what is needed moving forward is a simple and compelling framework that allows companies to assess their own performance and successfully select and implement their commitments to maximize value and impact on corporate performance and society as whole.” 

To meet this challenge, the project turned to leading global companies to gain their insights and inform good practice around sustainability commitment adoption and implementation. This led to the creation of a practical management framework, the Sustainability Commitment Growth Curve (SCGC). The SCGC is designed to help companies:

• Determine why and how they make a voluntary sustainability commitment to optimize participation. 
• Map where their voluntary sustainability commitments currently function to provide impact and value.
• Identify and implement actions that generate increased return on investment and impact from these voluntary commitments over time.
• Utilize voluntary sustainability commitments as a strategic governance and management tool.
• Utilize voluntary sustainability commitments to achieve improved business and sustainability performance.

View the full report here.

About AccountAbility
AccountAbility is a leading international organisation focused on mainstreaming sustainability into business thinking and practice. Since 1995 we have been helping corporations, non-profits and governments embed ethical, environmental, social, and governance accountability into their organisational DNA. Our unique value proposition brings together leading-edge research, widely-recognised standards and strategic advisory services to deliver practical solutions for our clients.

About the United Nations Global Compact
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices. As a multi-stakeholder leadership initiative, it seeks to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With more than 7,000 corporate signatories in over 135 countries, it is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.

Contacts

AccountAbility
Ted Grant
Director, Research and Development
Office: +1 646 495 1624.
Email: ted.grant@accountability.org
Website: www.accountability.org

UN Global Compact
Ursula Wynhoven
General Counsel
Email: wynhoven@un.org
Website: www.unglobalcompact.org