Safaricom Awarded UN Global Compact Lead Company

Safaricom PLC has been awarded the UN Global Compact LEAD company for its ongoing commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and its Ten Principles for responsible business. 

Announced at UN Headquarters in New York during the UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit 2018, Safaricom was identified as being among the highest-engaged participants of the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. 

“LEAD companies represent the highest level of engagement with the UN Global Compact. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and creating the world we want will not happen without bold action from the responsible business community. We need companies like those recognized today as LEAD to be an inspiration to other companies, large and small, across the world”, said the UN Global Compact CEO and Executive Director, Lise Kingo.

“Since joining the UN Global Compact in 2006, Safaricom has been part of a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders. By integrating a principles-based approach to sustainability, we are taking shared responsibility for achieving a better world. In 2016 we began the process of integrating 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals into our business operations and our business sustainability framework is now anchored around the SDGs”, said Safaricom CEO, Bob Collymore. 

To be eligible for LEAD recognition, companies must:

Be a participant in at least two Action Platforms, to demonstrate the company’s engagement with the UN Global Compact and commitment to defining and fostering leadership practices in line with the Ten Principles and Global Goals; and

Submit or commit to submitting an Advanced Communication on Progress — an annual sustainability report detailing progress on implementing the Ten Principles — within the same calendar year.

Safaricom was recognized for demonstrating its commitment to the UN Global Compact this year by participating in Action Platforms on health, climate change, business for humanitarian action and decent work. The company joins corporates like Unilever, Accenture, and Nestle among others who have all been named Global Compact LEAD companies.