Communication on Progress

Demonstrate your progress on the Ten Principles and the SDGs

All UN Global Compact companies are required to submit their Communication on Progress (CoP) between 1 April and 31 July 2024. Please find relevant information and support resources below.

Why submit a CoP?

Providing transparent and public reports to stakeholders is essential for companies dedicated to sustainability. In contrast to previous years, the UN Global Compact has developed a standardized questionnaire in 2023 as a means to fulfill the reporting requirements. 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.

Who needs to fill in the CoP?

All business participants of the UN Global Compact that joined before 1 January 2024 are required to report on their sustainability journey through the Communication on Progress (CoP). The following organizations are exempt from submitting the CoP:

  • Non-business participants (they will submit a Communication on Engagement every two years).
  • Subsidiaries: If your organization is a subsidiary then your parent company will need to submit the CoP for you. If you want to show your progress as a subsidiary you can submit an independent CoP, but this is optional.
  • New joiners after 1 January 2024: If your company joined after 1 January 2024, you will have to submit your report from 2025 onwards. New joiners can not submit a CoP this year. We recommend you to start tracking your data for next year via this document
  • New joiners after July 2023: Companies that joined between 1 July – 31 December 2023 must submit their CoP, but they have the option to submit in private mode. This means that except the UN Global Compact, no external visitors can view the details of the CoP submission.

What do I need to submit the CoP?

The CoP consists of two elements: the CEO Statement of Continued Support and the CoP Questionnaire. In 2024, companies are allowed to submit a Sustainability Report instead of the Questionnaire. 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.

    1. 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. 

    2. CoP Questionnaire, reporting on corporate action and performance related to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You can find the questionnaire here.

    Where do I submit my CoP?

    You can submit the CoP through the Participant Dashboard. Refer to the user’s guide to learn how to request credentials. Sign in and click “Submit your CoP”. On the Academy page you can find a demo of the platform. 

    Once submitted, the CoP will be available to download as a PDF file by the participant through the digital platform. Submitted CoPs are made publicly available on the website of the UN Global Compact at the moment they are submitted by the participant, enabling companies to communicate their efforts to support and uphold the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.

    What happens if I don’t submit my CoP on time?

    After 31 July, all companies that failed to submit their CoP will be listed as Non-Communicating and risk getting delisted from the UN Global Compact by 31 December 2024. Non-Communicating companies can’t access the Academy or join Accelerator programmes.

    Questions about the CoP?

    For any support on your CoP submissions, please access these resources:

    • Get some guidance on how to use the new plattform in the Academy. 
    • Download the CoP Guidebook: A helpful resource providing question rationale and guidance, linked reporting references, and a glossary of terms to assist in the completion of the enhanced CoP questionnaire.
    • Jointhe monthly Q&A Office Hours to ask your questions to our expert team or send your inquiry to cop-support@unglobalcompact.org. Check the upcoming sessions.
    • See most Frequently Asked Questions here.

    Or reach out to our local Participant Engagement Manager, Linde Reus, at reus@unglobalcompact.nl.

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