Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies around the world to align their strategies and operations with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of broader UN goals.

The 2011 Global Compact Implementation Survey received 1,325 responses from over 100 countries, representing a response rate of roughly 20 percent of Global Compact participants.    1,861 companies joined the initiative during 2011.

The survey report notes that a deeper understanding of sustainability issues is gaining momentum around the world, and companies of all sectors are stepping up efforts to build environmental and social considerations into management strategies and policies.

Under the Global Compact programme, participants are required to submit an annual Communication of Progress (COP) outlining their progress on each of the principles.

With respect to public disclosure of policies and actions per issue area, a minority of companies indicate doing so, except in the realm of environment where company size has a significant impact on action (30% of small and medium sized entities versus 89% of the largest companies).  In terms of sustainability/environmental reporting in particular, the survey found that company size and ownership type have an impact, with publicly traded and the largest companies implementing policies at dramatically higher rates in the areas of performance indicators, 'triple bottom-line' and voluntary charters.

Click for press release (link to Global Compact website).