What is the Compact?

The Compact fed into the UN Rio+20 policy-making processes and generated significant interest among companies with recognised global brands who want to show their support for its bold business commitments.

The commitment by businesses

The businesses' pledges cover:

• Operating within the limits of natural systems  
• Identifying and addressing externalities (un-costed impacts on people and the environment from the production and consumption of products and services)
• Enabling consumers to make better-informed choices
• Developing rigorous and realistic targets and plans

The Compact signatories

"Only by collaborating with others across our industry and up and down our supply chain will we be able to crack the toughest sustainability challenges. For that reason it's important for us to clearly define the non-competitive areas in the area of sustainability where we can apply our collective effort, ingenuity and scale to drive the change that's necessary in the amount of time that the scientists tell us is available in which to do it."

Thomas Lingard, Global Advocacy Director, Unilever

Read the Comparison of the Draft Text of the Rio+20 Outcome Document with The Leadership Compact: ‘Committing to Natural Capital’