Building Bridges for Sustainability

Jessica Hunt sits down with Claudia Herbert Colfer, the innovative force steering the UN Global Compact Network USA programming and opens up about the hurdles and victories that have shaped her influential career. Together, we navigate the complex world where businesses intersect with vital universal principles, discussing the imperative to address environmental and social challenges—from reducing carbon footprints to championing gender equality and diversity—all through the prism of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this compelling narrative, Claudia sheds light on the transformative power of the UN Global Compact Network USA, not as overseers but as allies in the quest for a more accountable and transparent corporate sphere.

Tune in for an episode that inspires and equips businesses with the knowledge to join hands in the global sustainability movement.

The process to join the UN Global Compact
Global Compact’s reporting requirements for companies.

 Connect with Claudia
UN Global Compact Network USA LinkedIn

Chapters

• 0:01 Sustainability Journey and Corporate Responsibility
• 8:36 Promoting Sustainable Business Practices

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to Building Bridges for Sustainability. In this episode of Sustainability Unveiled, I chat with Claudia Herbert-Coffer, head of programming for the UN Global Compact Network USA. We delve into Claudia's journey from Calgary to the UN, exploring her passion for corporate sustainability. Claudia shares insights on founding the US office, the Global Initiative, aligning companies with universal principles and SDGs. She reflects on leading a startup during a pandemic, being featured in Forbes 30 under 30. And the challenges and opportunities therein. We discuss the network's role in providing a platform for companies to learn, collaborate and report on sustainability progress. We hope you enjoy the conversation and we look forward to any and all feedback.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Welcome to another episode of Sustainability Unveiled. I'm your host, jessica Hunt, and I am so unbelievably honored to be in the presence of a thought leader in the sustainability space, claudia Herbert-Coffer. She is the head of programming for the UN Global Compact USA. Welcome.

Speaker 3: 1:16

Claudia. Thank you so much, Jessica. You're making me blush.

Speaker 2: 1:22

Well, I am just absolutely thrilled that we have the opportunity to work together and while we're going to be talking a lot about the UN Global Compact USA, I do want to jump in first and talk about your backgrounds. For those who don't know, claudia grew up in Peru, attended a German school, which is representative of her culture, and she was exposed to a variety of cultures and experiences. So how do you believe your upbringing and everything that you experienced as a child and growing up shaped your personal and professional goals?

Speaker 3: 1:56

That's a great question. As you said, I had a very international background, upbringing. I have German, have Peru and lived in Peru but went to a German school there. So a lot of different traditions, different cultures. And then I moved to England to complete my bachelor's degree there, so lived there for a long time and I always wanted to do something international, and at first I thought that would be working for my government at the UN and being involved in those critical negotiations to make this world better. But then I realized the importance that the private sector plays when it comes to achieving those global goals, and so I decided that I wanted to do something different and work at the intersection of the public and private sectors, but from an international angle in a way.

Speaker 2: 2:45

And so that's how I ended up where I am today, which is wonderful, and for those of you who also don't know, claudia was named to the 430 under 30 at the end of last year. So how do you really think that your trajectory towards the position that you're currently in really helps put you in the running for such a prestigious honor?

Speaker 3: 3:10

Yeah, I'm so happy to have their name to the Forbes 30 under 30 less last year.

Speaker 3: 3:15

It's truly an honor. In 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic, I became a co-founder of the US Office of the UN Global Compact, or we call it NetworkUSA. My wonderful boss was the only other employee at NetworkUSA at the time and when I came in, the organization was a complete startup, and it was obviously surprising, because when you think about the UN, you don't think about startup culture, but it was, at the same time, a really, really cool challenge and I was really excited because I was given this opportunity to leave my mark in such an incredible and special organization. So, as time went on, I played a role in growing the organization, establishing the necessary procedures that were needed for it to operate efficiently and, of course, develop the programs that our companies are completing nowadays. And, as I said, like this was a very unique opportunity and very, very cool, because I got the chance to build something from the ground up that is part of something bigger and that is really making a change in the world.

Speaker 2: 4:23

It definitely is, and I can hear the passion in your voice For those who are listening who might not be familiar with Compact NetworkUSA, it's mission and how it brings businesses together for a common cause. And you just talk a little bit about the work that you guys do behind the scenes.

Speaker 3: 4:40

Yeah, so the UN Global Compact is a special initiative of the UN Secretary General. It's also the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, and the organization was born in the year 2000 from a Davos speech that the Secretary General, kofi Annan former Secretary General Kofi Annan gave, and in his speech he was emphasizing the importance of connecting the private sector with the work of the United Nations and the role the important role that companies play when it comes to overcoming global challenges and accomplishing other global goals. And so the organization was born from that speech, and over the last 24 years we've grown considerably. As I mentioned, we're now the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. We have over 24,000 organizations across 160 countries, and the US Office Network USA really works with the American private sector, and we work with companies across the United States and help them strengthen their sustainability strategies and embed sustainability into their DNAs. And right now we're working with over a thousand American companies and some of the largest companies in the country, in the world, but also some smaller and medium-sized enterprises.

Speaker 2: 5:57

So what are some of the hiccups or pain points that you help clients work through?

Speaker 3: 6:05

We have. So this answer could go in so many different directions, but I think in general is how to approach their sustainability strategies, whether it's environmental sustainability or social sustainability. We have, for example, when it comes to the environment and climate. We have a lot of companies that come to us and they haven't started measuring their carbon footprint and they don't know how to start, or they're facing issues when trying to account for their carbon footprint or when developing strategies to reduce their carbon. So we have tools and resources and programs that help those companies navigate that space. But then, when it comes to the more social space, we have tools and resources available to help companies with ensuring that there's gender equality across the organization, with ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion is protected and well-executed. So those are some of the hiccups that we are supporting our companies and helping them overcome.

Speaker 2: 7:07

That's not a small task, yeah, at all, at all. So if a company wants to become what's called a signatory with your network, what are the steps that they need to go through, besides just reading the requirements online? What advice do you have for businesses that want to become a signatory with you guys?

Speaker 3: 7:27

Yeah, great question. So, in terms of like practical steps, if a company wants to be a part of the UN global compact, the CEO of that company needs to write a letter to the UN Secretary General that says that the company is committed to upholding what we call our 10 principles, which are 10 principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption the word derived from the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which is a mouthful the Rio de Janeiro yeah, the Rio de Janeiro Environment and Development and the United States Convention Against Corruption. So we took all these UN milestones and we came up with 10 principles, and so if a company wants to join, they have to mention in this letter to the Secretary General that they're willing to uphold these 10 principles, but also reporting on them every year. So every year, a company will have to submit a questionnaire in which it highlights how it is helping progress those 10 principles and their organizations. So, as far as practical steps goes, that's the process that companies need to follow.

Speaker 3: 8:36

Now, if you were to ask me my recommendation for companies that are thinking about it, I think that it's an organization. It's a very unique organization and you get a lot out of it, but I think you also need to be ready. I think motivation and commitment are two key words for me. We have so many resources and so many opportunities, and you have to be ready for those. So as long as you wanna learn from others and get involved in the work that we do, this is in space for you. But I do recognize that some companies are perhaps small or not ready for us yet, and so just taking that into account, Excellent advice and you know you mentioned sharing and learning from others and transparency is such a key word in today's society.

Speaker 2: 9:27

It wasn't always the cases, as you know, being transparent, sharing ideas. So how does the UN Global Compact Network USA, how do you guys really promote the importance of being a transparent corporation?

Speaker 3: 9:43

Yeah, I mean that's a tricky question. I think most of our companies, if not all they recognize the importance of transparency, just because if a company is willing to go through this whole process to join the UN Global Compact and be part of the work that we do, they're already committed to sustainability and to be better. That said, the UN Global Compact does not play the role of the sustainability police. We're not there to scold companies or hold them accountable. We're there to provide the resources to help them be better and to help them improve their current strategies and operation.

Speaker 2: 10:18

Excellent and very, very good to know. No need to be the sustainability police. One of the core principles obviously for your organization is achieving the sustainable, achieving the sustainable development goals, or SDGs. So how does your organization help businesses really hone in on achieving their goals?

Speaker 3: 10:40

This is my favorite question because this is what I do every day. So we offer a platform for companies to come together and learn from each other and learn from other relevant stakeholders. We work very closely, for example, with the US government. We, of course, work with the UN and the different bodies within the UN ecosystem. We work with other civil society organizations, so we provide a really special place where companies can truly meet other relevant stakeholders, learn from them, share their expertise and insights and, of course, we have programmatic offerings that help our companies improve their sustainability strategies, and I don't know if there's any way I can share an overview of all our programmatic opportunities. I think that would be really helpful for those in the audience who are listening. There's a visual representation that covers everything we do, but I'll share it with you, Jessica, and let's see if we can add the link somewhere to this.

Speaker 3: 11:38

But basically, our programmatic offerings are divided into different topics based on the 10 principles that I mentioned earlier the Sustainable Development Goals and, of course, the ESG framework giving its relevance in the US marketplace, and in each of these topics we offer a variety of opportunities.

Speaker 3: 11:55

So we have accelerator programs, which are programs that last anywhere between three to 12 months and really help companies embed the STGs into their core business strategies.

Speaker 3: 12:05

We have our peer learning groups, which we just launched, and those are a more informal platform in which companies get together and discuss different issues, be it climate action, human rights, corporate sustainability in general.

Speaker 3: 12:18

Experts facilitate those discussions and then companies decide on the agenda, which I think is really cool because they get to learn from each other and share their knowledge. And then, of course, we have thought leadership pieces based on different topics that are important to the US market. We have webinars, in-person events, and we have other incredible tools and resources available to our participating companies, One of them being what we call the Young Global Compact Academy. It's an e-learning platform in which companies can complete actually every single employee at our participating companies can complete e-courses on a variety of topics, whether it's like something related to water or greenhouse gas emissions or maybe TI Q plus rights, whatever it may be that a company's interested in, there's a course for it on the Academy, and companies have access to it at all times which is so nice that there are a variety of different resources, because every organization has the bandwidth and capabilities of maybe only selecting a few of those.

Speaker 2: 13:22

Maybe it's in person, if it works well, or peer-to-peer or online. So it is really nice to see that we are definitely seeing at least I'm seeing in the DC area there's such a trend towards smaller meetups the women in climate group. They are popping up all over the United States as well as the world with whether it's happy hour talks or just meetups where sustainability professionals, climate professionals, can really share the knowledge and network. And we are all in this together, as we keep saying, and it's going to take a lot of us to get the world where we would like to see it placed. And listening to you speak about everything that you do I don't know how you have so many hours in the day to have your hands in so many different aspects of Compact Network USA, but I would love to hear and I'm sure our listeners would too what a typical day it's like for you.

Speaker 3: 14:19

Yeah, that's a great question and, honestly, I would not be able to do the work that I do without my team. I have an incredible team. I don't know if you're listening, but if you are, thank you, because I would not be able to do everything I do without you. You guys are doing the really incredible and important work and making my life a lot easier. I don't think that I can say that two days are the same. They're all very, very different and it really depends on the priorities at the moment.

Speaker 3: 14:48

So, for example, last week we were at Green Biz. We launched our most recent thought leadership piece on corporate water stewardship, so that was a priority last week. And this week we're launching our Business and Human Rights Accelerator with 20 incredible companies. So we have in-person workshops tomorrow and Friday. And then we're also launching in a few weeks our STG Ambition Accelerator, which is a program that helps companies embed the STGs into their operations, and that week will be dedicated to that. So it really really depends on the time of year on the day. But I think that's what makes this work so unique and interesting, because no two days are the same and you're involved in a lot of different topics and different things and getting to meet so many different stakeholders and companies, and they're all working on various topics, so it's never the same.

Speaker 2: 15:42

That's nice, because then you're obviously not going to get bored. You are working towards common goals, whether it be with larger corporations or, as you mentioned, smaller ones. I'd like to go back and talk a little bit more about you and what has been the biggest change you think you've seen in yourself since starting the UN Global Compact? Hard question, jessica.

Speaker 3: 16:05

I think I was very young when I started and I was, I guess, not super confident as a professional. I had a lot to learn and I still have a lot to learn, but I hadn't found my professional voice yet and I think that being part of growing this organization and being a co-founder really helped me find my professional voice, if that makes sense, and a lot honestly. A heartfelt gratitude goes out to my boss, adam Roy Gordon, because he played such a crucial role in helping me grow professionally and just trust myself a lot more than I used to.

Speaker 2: 16:48

Which is such great advice, especially coming from a female, and we've talked in the past we've met about the importance of really showing women and young girls a way to find their voice and to be heard and to be taken seriously. And what advice do you have for the next generation coming up right now who want to have a role, like you do, in this industry and really work with companies whether it be public or private, or the intersection of both to who really want to get involved?

Speaker 3: 17:25

That's a great question. What really helped me was finding mentors that are doing what I wanted to do. So, for example, in my case, I found mentors that were working at the intersection between public and private and asked them questions about their journeys and what worked for them and the challenges that were facing, and finding out whether it was something that I really really wanted to do. And once I had that guidance, it was a lot easier to work in that industry because I understood how it worked and I understood what they were looking for. So if you're currently unsure about what to do next for your career, just finding mentors, someone that can really guide you through the process and I'm pretty sure they will know if there are any openings available or anything that can help you. So just trying to expand your network and talk to as many people as possible is my best advice.

Speaker 2: 18:22

And I think that's great advice and that has actually been a theme from some of the other podcasts that we have recorded is the power of mentorship and the power of making those connections and having the experiences to put you in the place to either decide this is the path I want to be on or I'm going to pivot a little bit, but I'm glad I had the experience of working in this industry, whatever it may be, so all right. Well, what is next for you?

Speaker 3: 18:48

Great question. I will continue trying to grow our organization. As I mentioned, we reached a really great milestone last year we welcomed our thousandth American company into the organization. But there's so much more work that needs to be done. I mean, if you think about the American marketplace, even if you look at SMEs, we have over 30 million SMEs in the United States alone, and so really trying to develop a strategy to make sure that our work reaches as many companies in the United States as possible, and that's going to be a journey, but a journey that I'm really, really excited about. So just thinking about that how to expand and then, once we're expanding, how to develop programs that will help all those companies do business more responsibly.

Speaker 2: 19:39

You have a lot on your plates, but it's moving fast and you guys have already the network made such a big difference in the United States and with the companies that you are working with. I do want to thank you again for being on with us. If you don't follow Claudia, please do so on LinkedIn as well as Global Compact Network USA. Claudia, it was a pleasure speaking with you and I hope this is not the last time we get to have a conversation.

Speaker 3: 20:07

Thank you for having me. This has been so much fun.

Speaker 1: 20:09

In the next 60 seconds, ask yourself how can I contribute to a brighter future, A brighter, more sustainable future? Let's embark on this journey together and shape the landscape of sustainable leadership for tomorrow. Take the first step now and make a commitment to lead with sustainability in mind. That's all for this episode of Sustainability Inveiled. If you like what you heard, we would appreciate your likes, as well as subscriptions. Join us next time as we continue to explore the forefront of environmental, ethical energy management, sustainability and more. Until then, stay informed, stay sustainable.