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Article

18 Nov 2022

Author:
Catie Shavin, Global Business Initiative on Human Rights

Global Business Initiative on Human Rights publishes framework for action to bridge the gap between respect for human rights & climate

"Bridging the gap between respect for human rights and climate - a framework for action", 17 Nov 2022

The need for just transitions and rights-respecting climate action is now widely recognised, and a welcome focus on how to achieve them has been prominent in the lead-up to and during COP27.

In our conversations with companies around the world, we see this reflected in practitioners’ interest in better connecting human rights and climate within their organisations – recognising that a joined-up approach offers a dynamic and robust foundation for transition. Too often, these areas of work progress in siloes.

The focus of practitioners’ interest is on how...

We see three clear focus areas that should inform an initial mapping, set out in our Framework for Action

Climate-sensitive respect for human rights

Efforts to embed respect for human rights in the company’s policies, due diligence processes and grievance mechanisms should be designed with reference to the external environment and the company’s operating context – which includes the implications of climate change.

Companies should systematically consider how climate change is affecting – and will affect – their operating context and stakeholders...

Rights-respecting climate action

Companies should map the decisions and actions they are taking in response to climate change and check if they have effective measures in place to know and show how they are managing any human rights risks...

By proactively identifying human rights risks associated with climate action, companies can put in place measures to address the risks to people while also responding to climate change.

Embedding a better-connected approach

To enable both climate-sensitive respect for human rights and rights-respecting climate action, businesses need to embed a joined-up approach.

Companies should ensure that their leadership, governance frameworks, coordination mechanisms and capability (both internal and appropriate external expertise) support efforts to better connect human rights and climate...

Getting these connections in place should also help position the company to navigate more effectively the changing legal landscape, in which legislation that addresses human rights, environment and climate together is becoming increasingly common.

Download GBI’s Framework for Action.