For the full enjoyment of human rights, a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential. Recognizing this, the UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution in July 2022 affirming the human right to a healthy environment. Yet pollution, biodiversity loss and the accelerating impacts of climate change are increasingly threatening the rights of communities around the world — especially those most vulnerable in the Global South.
As environmental harms and human rights risks become ever more interconnected, companies are under growing pressure to take responsibility for their impacts across their supply and value chains. International frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), as well as national regulatory developments like the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and regional initiatives like the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), require businesses to integrate environmental considerations into their human rights due diligence processes.
To support companies in navigating these expectations, the Business & Human Rights Navigator – a practical guidance tool – has recently introduced the new issue “Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment”. The BHR Navigator helps companies better understand and address human rights and environmental impacts in their operations and supply chains, drawing on the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the UNGPs.
Join us for a deep dive into this new issue in the online seminar “Right to a Healthy Environment: Human Rights Due Diligence for Business”, hosted by the Helpdesk on Business and Human Rights, in cooperation with the United Nations Global Compact and Verisk Maplecroft. Gain expert insights, practical guidance and real-world perspectives on how companies can take meaningful action for a healthy environment and responsible business conduct.