Step 2: What should a Communication on Progress (COP) include?

The Communication on Progress (COP) is a report designed to demonstrate the continual improvement of a company’s implementation of the ten principles. There is great variation in the methods that companies employ to communicate their progress. Typically, publicly traded companies will publish their COP in an annual or sustainability report; whereas SME’s and privately held companies tend to publish a stand alone COP specific to the Global Compact. Either of these reports is acceptable.

While there is no one way of communicating progress, there are three components that we encourage our participants to cover when reporting progress for the principles:

1. A statement of continuing support for the Global Compact in a message from the Chief Executive Officer or other senior executive.
2. Description of practical actions that the participant has taken in the previous year to implement the ten principles. These may include: commitments made, systems implemented and actions taken.
3. Measurement of outcomes using, as much as possible, standard indicators or metrics such as those elaborated in the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

Comprehensive information on COPs can be found in this PDF.

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