Renewable energy and human rights benchmark 2025
Shutterstock (licensed)
Shutterstock (licensed)
Climate change is the biggest risk to human rights. Meeting its challenge requires unprecedented roll-out of renewable energy projects across all regions in the coming years and decades. The renewable energy industry is at a crossroads: not only is it building the infrastructures of our future global energy system, it also has the potential to contribute to a fairer global economic order through a rights-respecting energy transition.
This fourth edition of the Renewable Energy and Human Rights Benchmark sheds light on the human rights policies and practices of 35 leading companies across the renewable energy supply chain.
The 2025 Benchmark looked closely at four key areas essential for the sector to drive a rights-respecting energy transition:
- Responsible mineral sourcing;
- Respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights;
- Commitment to shared prosperity; and
- Respecting and protecting human rights defenders.
Despite political and financial headwinds, the sector is making steady progress on improving their core human rights policies and practices. Key findings included:
- Progress on core human rights policies and practices across the board: 18 out of 27 (67%) companies having improved or maintained their scores from the 2023 Benchmark.
- Embedding human rights due diligence into operations and supply chains: Five out of six solar panel manufacturers, 12 out of 18 project developers, and two out of three wind turbine manufacturers improved their scores.
- Commitment to providing remedy and/or providing access to appropriate grievance mechanisms for workers and affected communities: Five out of six solar panel manufacturers, 12 out of 18 project developers, and one out of three wind turbine manufacturers have improved their scores.
- Project developers based in Europe are leading on core human rights policies and practices, including Ørsted, Iberdrola and Enel Green Power.
- Solar panel manufacturers are lagging behind their wind turbine counterparts; but they are making steady progress. Vestas continues to stand out among wind turbine manufacturers.
- Fast progress on respect for human rights defenders: Eight companies have policies on zero-tolerance on attacks or threats against human rights defenders – including one new company.
The climate crisis is the greatest global challenge humanity has ever faced – and rolling out renewable energy capacity at pace is critical. Respect for rights and shared prosperity is imperative – but Indigenous Peoples’ rights are not and never were a barrier to responsible wind and solar projects’ deployment. On the contrary, Indigenous Peoples are pioneers in the fight against climate change, and are the allies of progressive actors respecting our rights and dignity. It starts with a commitment – not mere lip service to respect rights, especially when legal protections are weak. This takes leadership, as demonstrated by a few companies in this year’s Benchmark.”Joan Carling, Indigenous Peoples Rights International Executive Director
However, some crucial gaps still remain:
- Responsible mineral sourcing remains a nascent practice: Although this is critical to avoiding disruptions and delays, only one solar panel manufacturer and only three wind turbine manufacturers have sufficient policies in place.
- No company in the Benchmark currently publicly discloses its full solar supply chain, which is a critical element in responding to risk of exposure to the severe issue of forced labour in Xinjiang Autonomous Uyghur Region (XUAR), as referred to by UN experts.
- Critical gaps on Indigenous Peoples' rights: Only 2 out of 22 companies have sufficient policies in place on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and only one company has a policy on free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
- An encouraging start on shared prosperity, but this must translate into achieving the needs and aspirations of communities. While there has been clear improvement on meaningful engagement with communities, companies must make progress on benefit sharing agreements that will see tangible results for communities.
Company scores
For more from Resource Centre staff on the findings, final ranking and recommendations of this year's Benchmark, watch the launch webinar below:
Additional resources and recommendations
Benchmark methodology and scoring
Explore the research and scoring methodology for the 2025 Benchmark. Research undertaken by the EIRIS Foundation including individual companies’ assessments, scoring and ranking of companies.
2025 Renewable Energy and Human Rights Benchmark dataset
Download scoring data
Responsible renewable energy investment: what investors need to know
This primer sets out how investors can engage with the wind and solar sectors, reducing exposure to operational and legal risks and supporting sustainability of investments in the sectors
Focus on risk of exposure to forced labour in XUAR
Explore how companies score - and what additional steps they should consider.
Detailed recommendations for companies
Discover our detailed recommendations for companies in the wind & solar sector to lead on a fast and fair energy transition
See also
Shared prosperity models & Indigenous Peoples' leadership for a just transition
News and resources from Indigenous Peoples Rights International and Business & Human Rights Resource Centre exploring the significant opportunity of Indigenous co-ownership of renewable energy projects, for an energy transition that is fast, just and equitable.
Just energy transition principles for human rights in business and investment
In consulted with Indigenous groups, trade unions, investors and companies, the Resource Centre has consolidated these principles three core principles would guide a fast and fair energy transition: shared prosperity; human rights and social protection; and fair negotiations.
Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark 2023
In 2023, the third edition of the Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark shed light on the human rights policies and practices of 28 companies in the renewable energy value chain – from equipment manufacturers to developers. See how companies scored.