What is Communication on Progress (CoP)?
The Communication on Progress (CoP) is a required public and annual disclosure by business participants of the UN Global Compact. Requiring: CEO Statement of Continued Support, Digital Questionnaire, and/or Sustainability Report. The COP has the following main objectives:
1. Foster accountability on corporate sustainability performance to help safeguard the integrity of the UN Global Compact initiative.
2. Promote continued learning and help drive corporate sustainability performance.
3. Enhance stakeholder access to information regarding participants’ implementation of the Ten Principles and contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
expressing support for the UN Global Compact and renewing your ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles; and
reporting corporate action and performance related to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the SDGs (preferred); And/or
providing an overview of corporate action and performance, especially related to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)(Alternative).
Reporting with the CoP Questionnaire offers a variety of benefits, particularly for organizations just beginning their sustainability journey. This annual evaluation supports the consistent collection of sustainability data, guides direction for improvement, and provides a base-level introduction to corporate sustainability reporting, helping organizations prepare for more rigorous reporting requirements.
The CoP Questionnaire generates a unique and public dataset, providing stakeholders with a global perspective of corporate progress toward the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across diverse industries, sectors, and regions. CoP data allows participants to demonstrate progress year-over-year through consistent data collection, enabling benchmarking between peers and an understanding of regional, industry, and global trends. As such, the data is used to inform the development of Global Compact programmatic offerings and has the potential to contribute to UN and governmental decision-making.
