“Why have 4,000 of the world’s leading corporations—from Coca Cola to HP—joined the United Nations Global Compact?” asks David Cooperrider, Fairmount Minerals Professor in Social Entrepreneurship at Case. “And more importantly, what benefits and strengths are there for Northeast Ohio companies? How can the UN Global Compact place our region on the map and strengthen our economy?”

Signing the Global Compact means a company agrees to follow ten principles in areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. In addition to single companies, like Chardon-based Fairmount Minerals and Cleveland’s Brown Flynn, signing, some 60 networks comprised of non-profit groups, cities, a private firms are working on topics of concern, such as climate change or sustainable development. While there’s no cost to sign, companies are required to file a progress report after two years.

Cooperrider, founder & chair of Case’s Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit, hosted an introductory meeting of the Northeast Ohio (NEO) network of the United Nations Global Compact on November 29, 2007. Read a recap of the introductory meeting.

Updates

Cleveland, Case, the Cleveland Clinic and Cuyahoga County all sign the UN Global Compact on Earth Day 2008. Case's Business as an Agent of World Benefit also announces it has been named as the Secretariat for the UNGC for the U.S. Read more.