COP

Prepare and submit your CoP

Your CoP should be fully integrated into your company’s main stakeholder communications, most often your annual or sustainability report. To assist you in developing your CoP, below are tools and guidance ranging from introductory material on how to fulfill the requirements to more advanced resources which help companies develop comprehensive and integrated reports. Importantly, your CoP must be submitted online before your deadline in order to fulfill your annual reporting commitment. More information about the online submission process and deadlines is below.

Business Applicants who are eligible to join the UN Global Compact fall under the following definitions:

• Company — any legal entity engaging in business, such as a corporation or partnership, with at least 250 full-time direct employees and/or any state-owned companies
• SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) — same as a Company but with less than 250. companies are required to have at least one direct employee and active operations.

Review the Application Guidelines for a detailed step-by-step guide to the Business Application joining process.

• How to prepare a CoP

  1. Know your deadline

  Your company has your own unique deadline based on the date you joined the UN Global Compact or your previous CoP submission. It is displayed on your company’s public profile. Search for your profile.

  New participants must submit their first CoP one year after joining the initiative. Existing participants are required to submit their CoPs one year after the last submission. For example, if the last submission took place on 1 April 2017, the next CoP will be due on 1 April 2018. Please note that all CoPs are due at 23:00 UTC on the designated date.

  2. Understand the CoP minimum requirements and the CoP Policy

  The CoP Policy is available in multiple languages in our library.

  3.Define what type of report you will create and the reporting period

  The following formats are accepted:

  • A stand alone document
  • Part of a sustainability or corporate social responsibility report
  • Part of an annual financial report
  • A Basic CoP Template which is available for those new to reporting that may not already publish formal report.
  • An express CoP is available for small and medium-sized enterprises, click here for more information.

  Define the period covered by the report (starting and ending dates).

  4. Define your CoP differentiation level

  Decide for what CoP differentiation level you are aiming: GC Active or GC Advanced.

  5. Prepare your report

  Consider:

  • How much time do you need to report?
  • What indicators do you need to measure and/or collect on a regular basis during the year to report outcomes?
  • Do not wait until the last minute. This requires time and preparation
  • Do you need ideas? Use the UN Global Compact Management Model and the Global Compact Self-Assessment Tool
  • You can also use the CoP Basic Template to prepare your report
  • Review your report using our checklist

• Key Tools for Preparing Your CoP

  GC Active CoPs

  • Basic Guide to the Communication on Progress: Provides an overview of the minimum requirements of the Communication on Progress. The guide includes practical suggestions and examples grounded in best practices from participating companies. Access the guide in our library.
  • Recorded Webinar: Reaching “GC Active” Level: Gives an overview of the CoP Policy and explains the Differentiation Programme, with a special emphasis on the GC Active level. It covers the minimum CoP requirements, deadline extension and modification, and online submission. Access the webinar in our library.

  GC Advanced CoPs

  • List of GC Advanced Criteria and CoP submission questionnaire: Available in our library in multiple languages.
  • Your Path to External Assessment: Helps companies to set the scope and objective for the external assessment of sustainability reports and/or CoPs; understand the different approaches to inform the right type of assessment; and select a specific external assessment approach.
  • Making the Connection – Using GRI’s Guidelines to Create a CoP: Produced by the UN Global Compact in partnership GRI, describes how to use the GRI
  • Sustainability Reporting Guidelines to prepare a CoP: Addresses how to fulfill the elements of the GC Active and GC Advanced levels of the Global Compact differentiation programme, how to meet the requirements to be in accordance with G4, and includes detailed cross-referencing between GRI indicators and GC Advanced criteria.
  • International Integrated Reporting Framework: Establishes guiding principles and content elements that govern the overall content of an integrated report, and explains the fundamental concepts that underpin them. Access the Framework. See the Brief for Business Participants on Integrated Reporting.

• How to Submit a CoP

  For your CoP to be considered an official submission, it must be directly uploaded to our system. To do so, you will need to log in to your participant profile and follow the instructions below. CoPs will not be accepted if they are emailed or mailed to the UN Global Compact.

  GC Active CoP

  • Access step-by-step guides and videos in our library.

  GC Active CoP Using the Basic CoP Template

  The Basic CoP Template is an easy-to-use web-based template with examples. If you do not create your CoP as a separate document, the template allows you to create your CoP during the submission process.

  • Access a step-by-step guide and download a preview of the Basic CoP Template.

  GC Advanced CoP

  • View a step-by-step submission guide, criteria and questionnaire on how to create an advanced CoP

• How to Request a Deadline Extension

  There are two options to request a deadline modification before the CoP deadline expires. To request either option, you will need log in to your participant profile and follow the instructions below.

  • Grace Period Letter: grants an additional 90 days. See the Guide to Submit Grace Letter.
  • Adjustment Request: grants a one-time only deferral of up to 11 months to adjust the reporting cycle. See the Guide to Request an Adjustment.