Human Rights Due Diligence and the Environment

• Slides

This UNDP webinar addressed the growing demand for businesses to conduct human rights due diligence that considers environmental factors. In recognition of the right to a healthy environment and increasing legislation, UNDP – in collaboration with over 180 stakeholders – developed a guide on this topic, aligning with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

The webinar specifically targeted Impact Assessment (IA) professionals working on the intersection of social/human rights and environmental issues. By attending, these professionals gained insights into integrating environmental considerations into the four-step UNGPs framework for human rights due diligence. Key learnings included:

• Assessing and prioritizing potential environmental harms and their resulting human rights impacts, considering both internal operations and the entire value chain.
• Developing appropriate responses to these prioritized impacts, encompassing mitigation strategies and remediation efforts.
• Tracking the effectiveness of implemented responses, utilizing both scientific data and qualitative assessments from affected communities.
• Communicating effectively about potential and actual human rights impacts, as well as the response measures taken, tailored to various audiences, particularly those most affected.

The webinar featured presentations from UNDP specialists Sean O’Connell and Olga Nilova.