How can you align your logistics operations with the United Nations Global Compact?

1 What is the UN Global Compact?

The UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, with over 12,000 participants from more than 160 countries. It is based on ten principles that cover four areas: human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. The principles are derived from universal declarations and conventions, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Global Compact encourages businesses to align their strategies and operations with these principles and report on their progress.

2 How to align your logistics operations with the human rights principles?

The human rights principles of the Global Compact are to support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights, as well as make sure that businesses are not complicit in human rights abuses. To align your logistics operations with these principles, you should conduct a human rights impact assessment, implement policies and procedures to prevent and address any adverse impacts, engage with stakeholders to communicate your commitment to human rights, and monitor and evaluate your performance. Reporting on your human rights outcomes and challenges is also essential.

3 How to align your logistics operations with the labor principles?

The labor principles of the Global Compact include upholding the freedom of association and the recognition of the right to collective bargaining, eliminating all forms of forced and compulsory labor, abolishing child labor, and eliminating discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. To align your logistics operations with these principles, you should respect the rights of your workers and their representatives, ensure they are not subjected to any form of coercion or exploitation, verify the age and identity of workers to prevent child labor, and promote diversity and inclusion in your workforce to prevent discrimination.

4 How to align your logistics operations with the environment principles?

The environment principles of the Global Compact are Principle 7, which encourages businesses to support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8, which encourages initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and Principle 9, which encourages the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. To align your logistics operations with these principles, you should assess the environmental impacts of your activities and adopt measures to reduce them. Additionally, it is recommended to implement environmental management systems and standards, such as ISO 14001, and seek certification or verification from third parties. Investing in green logistics solutions like renewable energy, electric vehicles, low-carbon fuels, circular economy, or green packaging can help as well. Finally, collaborating with your suppliers, customers, and partners can enhance your environmental performance and share best practices.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?