"A new bottom line", 19 Mar 2018

...A key shift [in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] from the previous Millennium Development Goals has been the inclusion of business as a key partner...The shift holds huge potential for global development, but also severe risks...Companies should ensure that they respect human rights across their immediate operations and supply chains...

...[W]e have sounded the alarm about a growing number of allegations of abuse by renewables companies, especially from indigenous and tribal peoples, regarding land and water grabs....Renewable energy companies and their investors must act urgently to put human rights due diligence upstream in their planning...Another crucial issue for achieving the SDGs will be companies’ approach to labour rights – from eliminating modern slavery to the provision of decent work and a living wage...There are a cluster of leading companies that are taking bold action to eliminate forced and child labour and trafficking from their supply chains...[refers to Adidas, Apple, Coca-Cola, Gap, Hewlett Packard, Marks & Spencer, Nestlé & Unilever]