The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s (BHRRC) 2023 Renewable Energy and Human Rights Benchmark has found the renewable energy sector is “not ready to deliver a fair energy transition”. The benchmark assessed and scored the human rights policies and practices of 28 leading renewable energy supply chain firms across wind and solar project developers, oil and gas companies entering into renewables, and wind turbine and solar panel manufacturers. While the benchmark acknowledges the progress made by the sector in adopting broad human rights policies, it falls “woefully short” in addressing critical human rights risks and harms. BHRRC’s research highlighted notable gaps between policy and practice, and dangerous shortcomings on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, land rights, and forced labour. Companies averaged a score of 1% in respect of their responses to all serious human rights allegations included in the benchmark. Phil Bloomer, Executive Director at BHRRC, said: “This benchmark is a loud wake-up call to this critical sector. It highlights the risks companies are generating for themselves, workers, communities and the urgent transition to clean energy. Laggard companies need to urgently change key aspects of their business model if they seek stable and cooperative investment environments with communities and workers. Their long-term profits, and the fate of our planet, depend on decisive action.”
OUT NOW: Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark 📊
Our biggest ever #renewable energy benchmark examines the human rights policies of 28 companies across the industry. Results reveal the industry still needs to improve to deliver a #JustTransition 1/https://t.co/5XVG5mLdRB pic.twitter.com/T0HOESIk4B
— Business & Human Rights (@BHRRC) November 15, 2023
