Over the past 25 years, companies have advanced corporate sustainability globally in collaboration with the UN Global Compact. Major achievements span the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

This Earth Day, the message is clear: We need urgent, comprehensive climate action, and businesses must help deliver it.

On 11 April, after years of hard work, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) voted to decarbonize global shipping by setting regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.

Conversations about young people tend to focus on how they will shape the future. But Luísa Franco Machado, a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations, offers a fresh perspective.

Until the mid-2010s, few companies reported on on their nature-related impacts. However, nature reporting has gained significant traction in the past few years as businesses recognize the financial, operational and reputational risks associated with nature loss and a lack of data monitoring.

Over the past quarter-century, the UN Global Compact has reshaped the way businesses operate, embedding sustainability into corporate strategy and fostering a global movement committed to responsible business practices. As we mark this milestone, we reflect on the progress made and reaffirm the urgent need for continued leadership, innovation and collaboration to build a more sustainable and inclusive future.

The gathering focused on the need for land restoration, highlighting the importance of soil health, the increasing risk of drought and the impacts of degraded land on migration, geopolitical tensions and food insecurity.

As the year draws to a close, we reflect on 2024 with gratitude and renewed purpose.

On 28 November, the Global Compact Network Ireland officially launched in Dublin. The launch of the new Network marks a pivotal moment, as it connects Irish businesses to a global movement dedicated to advancing sustainable business practices and aiming to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

COP29 concluded recently in Baku, Azerbaijan. With mixed results, the conference sought to mobilize and align private and public finance to support ambitious climate goals and find agreement on many other critical issues.

Biodiversity COP16 marked a turning point in global engagement, with over 23,000 participants, including more than 3,000 from the private sector, coming together in Colombia from 21 October to 1 November.

The urgency is clear: we must act now to bridge the ever-widening climate finance gap, estimated at $4 trillion annually.