UN Global Compact Releases European Private Sector SDGs Stocktake Report
News related to:UN Global Compact · 2 min read
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) has released its second edition of the European Private Sector SDGs Stocktake, offering a comprehensive analysis of the contributions of companies across 21 European countries to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study, which draws on data from 5,793 UNGC participant companies, reveals that these companies are making a tangible contribution to the SDGs, with an overall average contribution score of 58.2 out of 100.
According to the report, European UNGC participant companies are contributing more to social SDGs than to those related to the environment. SDG 3 on health records the highest contribution score at 73.6. The report attributes this to longer-standing regulations in Europe on social issues, as well as a greater number of operational indicators for measuring environment-related SDGs, which require a higher level of maturity in sustainability practices.
Industrial companies in Europe tend to embed environmental practices more deeply, particularly in relation to climate change (SDG 13), with an average score of 45.8. Only 28.1% of responding companies have developed a climate adaptation plan. Service-sector companies, however, contribute less to SDG 13, suggesting that direct exposure to environmental issues creates a stronger incentive to act.
The contribution scores by country show a degree of homogeneity in Europe, with Greece, Turkey, and Italy recording the highest overall contribution scores. Poland and Denmark, as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein, have lower scores, indicating that companies in these countries operate within broadly shared sustainability frameworks, with similar levels of regulations and expectations.
Despite the overall positive contribution, the report highlights that most companies have taken policy commitments and implemented internal prevention measures, but it remains challenging to translate these commitments into operational actions. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 56% of the responding companies, face particular difficulties in this area.
Employee training on sustainability remains an area where progress is needed. Less than 40% of companies offer such training to their employees on social and environmental issues. The report also notes that the efficiency of sustainability actions is not systematically measured for all areas. Among the companies that have implemented sustainability measures related to social issues, only half have measured their progress. For environmental measures, this is more common, but 20% of companies still do not track their efficiency.
The report recommends that companies increase progress measurement in all sustainability areas, prioritize adaptation to climate change, engage in more multi-stakeholder and public-private partnerships, and increase sustainability training opportunities for all employees and suppliers. These recommendations aim to ensure that the SDGs are implemented effectively across the entire value chain.
The UN Global Compact and its European Country Networks continue to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by companies of all sizes and operating in all business sectors. The initiative is the world's largest corporate sustainability program, with over 25,000 participants in more than 100 countries.