Our work with the UN Global Compact

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Nestlé’s own Corporate Business Principles incorporate the 10 UNGC Principles and we reflect the basic concepts of fairness, honesty and respect for people and the environment in our business actions. We have also contributed to the UNGC’s Blueprint for Corporate Sustainability Leadership, a document designed to improve corporate sustainability performance.

Our Communication on Progress

As a participant in the UNGC, we disclose our progress on the implementation of the 10 Principles and the activities we are carrying out in support of the 2030 development agenda.

Our Communication on Progress ^* increases transparency and accountability, pushes us to continue to improve on our performance and ensures that UNGC signatory companies live up to the expectations set by the Compact and the United Nations.

^* The COP submission will be available on 14 April 2017.

UNGC LEAD

As a member of the UNGC’s leadership platform, LEAD, and its steering committee, Nestlé continues to further its work towards advancing the integration of sustainability principles into our core business operations. Through LEAD, we are also able to deepen our efforts and commitments to answer to the call to action made by the Sustainable Development Goals. For instance, in 2016, we actively contributed to the UNGC’s 2030 Vision – to mobilise a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders committed to take action to address the complex challenges the world faces. As part of this engagement, we supported the development of a new global strategy to back the transformation of the UN Global Compact into a ‘Platform of Platforms’ to deliver impact at scale.

While these changes were underway, we continued to play an active role in initiatives advancing specific key parts of the 2030 development agenda, including the UNGC CEO Water Mandate; UNGC Food and Agriculture Business Principles; UNGC Advisory Group on Supply Chain Sustainability; UNGC Human Rights and Labour Working Group; Caring for Climate; Women’s Empowerment Principles; Business for the Rule of Law Steering Group and Working Group; Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative; and the Anti-Corruption Working Group. In 2017, we will be looking forward to engaging with likeminded companies, sharing practices and learning from one another in the new Action Platforms on disruptive technologies and breakthrough innovation, impact reporting, low-carbon development and inclusion.

UNGC LEAD: Post-2015 development agenda

We are fully committed to furthering the important role business can play in contributing to achieving peace and prosperity in a sustainable and resilient world. To achieve this, we have continued to stress the importance that the UNGC leverages, at the global and local levels, its strength as a UN entity to link businesses’ potential for sustained and continuous positive change with a shared vision of the future many other stakeholders are striving to achieve. As a gateway for business dialogue, the UN will also strengthen corporate citizenship, business sustainability, the interconnectedness of societal prosperity and long-term business prospects, and positioning sustainability and long-term thinking as a mainstreamed investment driver.

We have shared these ideas and aspirations during our participation in the United Nations Private Sector Forum, LEAD Steering Committee meetings, case studies submissions in the UNGCyearbook and close engagement with the local network in Switzerland.

UN Global Compact local networks

Nestlé engages with the local networks that the UNGC has established around the world, to bring global commitments and ambitions to the ground and expedite progress by galvanising collective action at the country level. We are pleased to share the continuously deeper and insightful work our markets are carrying out in key areas at the local level. In 2016, 13 of our markets strengthened their participation in their respective local networks by furthering their active involvement in specific working groups or taking their involvement a step further by becoming members at the leadership level. This is the case in Switzerland, Poland, Chile, China, Turkey and the UK and Ireland.

In Ghana, Nestlé has shared its expertise on sustainability, corporate citizenship and public commitment to create shared value in different conferences, workshops and training platforms. It also continues to share local best practices with other network members. In Poland, we are a member of the Board, disseminate examples of how companies can make positive impacts in society, and have joined working groups on sustainability issues in specific value chains, for instance palm oil. In countries like the UK, we are further supporting national priorities in terms of sustainability and accountability through our engagement and active work as members of the Modern Slavery Working Group.

For its part, Nestlé Indonesia participated in the Indonesian Local Compact Network Annual Meeting, the launching of its Business and Human Rights Working Group and a Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Business and Human Rights. Also, senior management is increasingly sharing the company’s experiences with peers in the business community and other stakeholders. This is the case of Nestlé US’ support for the UNGC CEO Water Mandate to advance cross-sector collaboration for water stewardship in California and participation at meetings to facilitate building multi-stakeholder partnerships. We are also members of the local networks in Australia, Kenya and Tanzania, where we regularly share insights and experiences on human rights, improved governance and anti-corruption.

In South America, Brazil has been significantly active in its local network, participating at the local round table to define the network’s strategic plan for 2017–2020, the national forum that took place in the country on 9 November 2016, and the working group on the Sustainable Development Goals. This work has helped to deepen the alignment of our social commitments and Creating Shared Value activities with the focus areas of the 2030 agenda Brazil has prioritised. In the meantime, in Chile, we are taking a proactive role in both the executive and environmental committees.

In some countries, our social commitments, sustainability efforts and ongoing work have been formally recognised. In December 2016, Nestlé Pakistan received the Global Compact Business Excellence Award 2016 in the multinational category at an event convened by the Global Compact Network in Pakistan and the country’s Employers’ Federation. In China, we received the Pioneer Enterprise on SDG Goals Award at the local network’s annual conference for the company’s efforts to help farmers successfully and sustainably grow coffee in the Yunnan province.

In countries where no local networks have been established, Nestlé furthers the development agenda through third parties. In Greece, the UN Global Compact Network is managed by CSR Hellas, an organisation Nestlé has been a member of since 2000. And in Turkey, Global Compact Turkey launched the UN Women Empowerment Principles (WEP) in February 2017, with Nestlé becoming a signatory partner, signing the CEO Statement of Support for WEP. In addition, the Corporate Communications Manager of Nestlé Turkey has become a member of the Executive Board of Global Compact Turkey and joined Nestlé’s Women Empowerment Study Group.

Related content