National Grid became a signatory to the UN Global Compact in January 2008.

National Grid is also member of the UK Network of the UN Global Compact

The Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. By doing so, business, as a primary agent driving globalisation, can help ensure that markets, commerce, technology and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere.

The ten universally accepted principles are:

Human Rights

• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.  

Labour Standards

• Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
• Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
• Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
• Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.   

Environment

• Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
• Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.   

Anti-Corruption

• Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. 

Communication on Progress (COP)

One of the explicit commitments that a company makes when it joins the UN Global Compact is to produce an annual Communication on Progress (COP). This is a requirement of participation that serves several important purposes:

• to instil accountability;
• to drive continuous improvement;
• to safeguard the integrity of the UN Global Compact as a whole; and,
• to contribute to the development of a repository of corporate practices.

We communicate our progress through our online Corporate Responsibility report and our 'Responsibility' website.