Starbucks Joins U.N. Global Compact

Starbucks Coffee Company has announced it has joined the United Nations Global Compact. The Global Compact is an international network of corporations, U.N. agencies, trade unions, and non-governmental organizations that support a shared set of nine principles on the environment, labor, and human rights.

“Joining the Global Compact is a natural progression for Starbucks as our own guiding principles are already closely aligned with the Global Compact,” said Orin Smith, president and CEO. “The Global Compact has made significant contributions to improving the environment and human rights around the world and Starbucks plans to take an active role in the organization by continuing to lead by example.”

Sandra Taylor, Starbucks senior vice president of corporate social responsibility, plans to participate in the Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York. Chaired by Secretary General Kofi Annan, the Summit will assemble some of the world’s most influential leaders from corporations, international labor and civil society, as well as select government officials, to take stock of the Global Compact and chart its future course.

Starbucks first action as a member of the Global Compact will be to create a call to action for the company’s business partners. As part of this initiative, Starbucks will talk with its coffee suppliers about issues specific to their businesses and encourage them to align their business principles with those of the Global Compact.