Guides

UNGC

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a voluntary initiative aimed at encouraging businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. It is based on ten principles that cover human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

To access the UNGC data or filter based on it, you'll need an extended access. Contact your account manager if you need more information.

When ordering by ungc_classification, the results are sorted based on the level of importance: low risk -> watchlist -> violator.

Classification

  • low risk: Events that raise concerns but lack evidence of an UNGC violation. While no breach is confirmed, these cases still merit monitoring.
  • watchlist: Potential serious violations where evidence is partial or inconclusive. These events suggest possible misconduct but fall short of confirming a clear breach.
  • violator: Clear and explicit breaches of the UNGC Principles, backed by evidence such as official sanctions, public admissions, or substantial regulatory fines.

Principles

Human rights

  • Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
    • Breaches include involvement in violations of basic human rights — e.g., forced evictions, indigenous rights violations, privacy breaches
  • Principle 2: Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
    • Breaches include contributing to or benefiting from human rights violations, including partnering with entities involved in coercion, discrimination, land abuses, or other harmful practices.

Labour

  • Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
    • Breaches involve union-busting, retaliation against organizing workers, or blocking collective bargaining.
  • Principle 4: Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour.
    • Workers are coerced, controlled, or unable to freely leave employment due to threats, debt, document withholding, or other forms of forced work.
  • Principle 5: Businesses should uphold the effective abolition of child labour.
    • Covers employing underage workers, hazardous child labor in supply chains, or lacking age-verification controls.
  • Principle 6: Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
    • Violations include unequal pay, discriminatory hiring/firing, harassment, and unsafe conditions targeting specific groups.

Environment

  • Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
    • Breaches include ignoring known environmental risks, failing to prevent pollution, or neglecting safety controls.
  • Principle 8: Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
    • Covers pollution incidents, toxic waste mismanagement, illegal emissions, biodiversity damage, and poor environmental management.
  • Principle 9: Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
    • Violations arise when companies block, delay, or fail to implement cleaner technology, or rely on outdated, polluting systems.

Anti-Corruption

  • Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
    • Breaches include bribery or corrupt practices where power is misused for gain, including illicit payments, kickbacks, or improper influence to secure business advantages.