Local firms to United Nations Global Compact

Thursday 11 August 2022

Local firms have joined the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Launched in 2000 by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies to voluntarily align their strategies and operations with the organisation's Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption and to undertake actions that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Carey Olsen is understood to be the first offshore law firm to become a signatory and, in doing so, will now support the Ten Principles and commit to and provide an annual report on progress, measurement of outcomes and future plans.

Carey Olsen Jersey partner Robin Smith (pictured top) is a member of the firm's ESG committee. He said: "Becoming a signatory to the UN Global Compact is a key milestone on our journey to becoming a more sustainable business. It goes beyond simply making statements about our CSR and ESG credentials.

"The UNGC provides a framework for us to publicly report on our progress and allow us to embed its values and principles into our future plans and day-to-day business activities.

"We appreciate that we are still at the beginning of our sustainable journey and we look forward to developing our business practices across our network of global offices as a responsible corporate citizen."

BDO Group in Jersey - incorporating BDO, C5 Alliance and ALX Training - have also signed up.

Jon Kandiah, Group Chief Operating Officer at BDO Group, said: "In line with our commitment to these principles, BDO is proud to have joined the United Nations Global Compact Initiative. Joining this initiative is part of our wider commitment to running our business with Environmental, Social and Governance themes at the heart. We not only want to minimise our negative impact, but we also strive to increase our positive impact within both the community and the environment."

The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact are derived from: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

In 2020, Carey Olsen announced it had become the first offshore law firm to enroll its entire network of global offices into ESI Monitor's Environmental Business Operations Award and Standard (ESI Monitor Standard).

Similar in philosophy to the aims of the United Nations Global Compact, the ESI Monitor Standard is internationally benchmarked and serves as an environmental management system that allows businesses to measure, manage, minimise and continually improve their operational environmental credentials.