Toward Rio: Global Compact LEAD Launches Guide to Social Investment and Philanthropy

(New York, 14 June 2012) – A new report from Global Compact LEAD released today takes a close-up look at various approaches to social investment practices in the context of corporate responsibility. The good practice guide, titled New Paths to Performance, was developed by the Global Compact LEAD Taskforce on Strategic Social Investment and Philanthropy.

Companies can create value for society and contribute to solving global problems in a wide variety of ways—from traditional corporate philanthropy, in which no expectations of financial return are established, to business strategies that share the benefits of commercial activities more broadly, delivering social, environmental and financial returns. 

With input and case studies from a small group of committed companies, this report examines how organizations are enhancing the impact of their social investment activities, aligning these activities with their core businesses, and guaranteeing consistency and sustainability over time. Based on lessons learned by the companies contributing to the report, it also lays out a number of key recommendations to some of the more commonly encountered challenges.

New Paths to Performance will be featured at the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, during the Foundations of Social Investment session convened by the Global Compact and the Principles for Social Investment Secretariat, on 16 June at 2:00 p.m.

• Download New Paths to Performance
• About Global Compact LEAD

About the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum:
Innovation and Collaboration for the Future We Want
Hosted by the UN Global Compact, in cooperation with the Rio+20 Secretariat, the UN System and the Global Compact Local Network Brazil, the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum (15-18 June 2012) seeks to bring greater scale and quality to corporate sustainability practices, as a critical contribution to sustainable development. As a showcase for innovation and collaboration, the Forum is designed to be a launching ground for widespread action. With more than 2,000 participants in attendance, the Forum features over 100 sessions focused on six themes central to the Rio+20 agenda: Energy & Climate, Water & Ecosystems, Agriculture & Food, Social Development, Urbanization & Cities, and Economics & Finance. www.compact4rio.org


About the UN Global Compact
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is a 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 7,000 corporate signatories in 135 countries, it is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. unglobalcompact.org

Contact

Nessa Whelan
Global Compact LEAD
UN Global Compact Office
+1 212-907-1381
Whelan@unglobalcompact.org