Telefonica | January 31, 2011 | Press Release
Telefónica is one of 54 multinationals selected by United Nations to constitute the
Global Compact LEAD, a leadership platform for the promotion of sustainability in the world.
These companies are leaders in the global economy in sustainability. Other three Spanish
large companies have joined the LEAD, BBVA, Endesa and Acciona. Telefónica and BBVA are
also members of the Executive Committee of the platform.
Underscoring the role of business in addressing global threats – from climate change to
widespread poverty or humanitarian emergencies – a group of chief executives joined UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Davos/Switzerland today for the launch of Global Compact
LEAD – a new platform created by the UN Global Compact to take environmental, social and
governance performance to the next level and set a new benchmark for corporate
sustainability.
A group of 54 companies, all participants of the UN Global Compact, that have made an
ambitious commitment to work towards implementation of the Blueprint for Corporate
Sustainability Leadership, a comprehensive roadmap outlining roughly 50 concrete actions
businesses can take to achieve greater sustainability. The Blueprint was first introduced by
the Global Compact in June 2010.
Global Compact LEAD companies are further expected to share their knowledge
through the initiative’s local networks in more than 90 countries and to report on their
activities at an advanced level. Participants also pledge to work more actively with United
Nations agencies, funds and programmes, many of which have built significant business
partnership capacities in recent years, recognizing the critical role of business in addressing
global challenges.
Download the Blueprint for Corporate Sustainability Leadership.
About the UN Global Compact
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies around
the world to align their strategies and operations with ten universal principles in the areas of
human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of
broader UN goals. Through the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible
corporate policies and practices, business can help ensure that markets advance in ways that
benefit economies and societies everywhere. The Global Compact is not a regulatory body,
but a voluntary leadership platform for dialogue and learning. With more than 8,900
signatories in over 135 countries, it is the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative.
www.unglobalcompact.org
