Exploring business and human rightsDemonstrating respect for human rights is an increasingly important area of focus for businesses, particularly against the backdrop of the ESG megatrend. The Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have acted as “ESG accelerants”, bringing into sharp relief the impacts businesses can have on others, and the way in which they engage with their stakeholders. Scrutiny of this area is set to rise, as more and more jurisdictions look to actively require organisations to engage proactively on human rights issues.
In this podcast series we explore a number of key business and human rights themes that businesses need to be aware of.
14th January 2021
If 2020 was marked by the current shockwave of the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and the Black Lives Matter movement and the US election, 2021 is likely to be marked by the “build back better” and “build back greener” agenda. In this publication we explore some of the key global ESG themes we believe will shape the legal outlook for businesses in 2021.
30th December 2020
The EU has adopted its first global human rights sanctions regime, which allows the EU to impose travel bans and financial sanctions on targeted individuals, entities and bodies (including state and non-state actors) responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide, irrespective of where they occurred. This “horizontal” regime will apply in addition to the existing EU geographical sanctions regimes, which have listed more than 200 individuals and entities for human rights violations.
10th December 2020
In this blog post, we look at the various options the European Commission is exploring for an EU human rights due diligence regime and the European Parliament’s recommendations on what the Commission should include in a legislative proposal.
1st December 2020
The rise of ESG has placed an increased focus on organisations and their supply chains. In this videocast we briefly discuss the key takeaways for organisations when looking at supply chains in the context of ESG.
Wednesday 25th November 2020, 14:00 to 15:00 GMT
Location: Global
Organisations and their supply chains have been sorely tested in 2020, by Covid-19, challenging geopolitics, a growing focus on ESG and the upcoming challenges of Brexit and severe weather. In the face of all these issues, we consider how to assess the resilience and ESG performance of suppliers and how to strengthen supply chains. We outline some of the key steps you can take to assess and manage risk and respond to problems.
Tuesday 10th November 2020, 12:00 to 13:00 GMT
Location: Global
Environment, social and governance (“ESG”) is going mainstream. Investors have become increasingly proactive in engaging with corporates on ESG issues and Regulators are introducing extensive legal changes with potentially far-reaching consequences. Access to finance may become more challenging for those not engaging robustly with this agenda. Social norms and stakeholder expectations are changing and corporates' social license to operate is increasingly tied to their profile on managing ESG matters.
15th October 2020
Human rights due diligence is set to climb higher up the board room agenda as the European Commission prepares to launch a consultation. In this podcast, Rachel Barrett and James Marlow discuss why human rights due diligence is becoming increasingly important for corporates and how to start the process.
7th October 2020
In this podcast, Rachel Barrett and James Marlow discuss the key changes that will be made to modern slavery statements in the UK, following the government’s response to the consultation it carried out in 2019.
28th September 2020
UK Government publishes response to Modern Slavery Act 2015 consultation, setting out key changes for the reporting regime under section 54. We set out the key points you need to know.
25th September 2020
Organisations and their supply chains have been sorely tested this year, by Covid-19, challenging geopolitics, and a growing focus on EGS and the upcoming challenges of Brexit and severe weather in several major regions.
In the face of all these issues, some of our clients are revisiting the resilience of their supplier relationships and considering how to strengthen their supply chains. This briefing maps out some of the key issues and suggests options you may want to consider as part of your own review.
Tuesday 22nd September 2020, 15:00 to 16:00 GMT
Location: Global
As companies and governments move beyond Covid-19, there is a renewed focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, supply chains and mistreatment of workers. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 created new offences in relation to modern slavery in the UK, and wider reporting obligations for commercial organisations active in the UK in relation to avoidance of modern slavery across their own operations and their supply chains. More recently, the EU has announced plans to introduce mandatory human rights due diligence.
5th August 2020
Covid-19 has disrupted global supply chains and tested the operational resilience of most businesses. It has also shone a light on inequalities and harmful practices in certain supply chains. These issues can have a swift and significant impact on businesses, both financially and reputationally.
28th July 2020
The European Commission has announced that it is committed to introducing legislation in 2021 to make human rights due diligence mandatory for all EU companies. We explore what shape that legislation might take, along with parallel developments in Switzerland with the Responsible Business Initiative.
