Business & Human Rights

UN Alliance Calls for Stricter Building Energy Codes

January 08, 2018

A Global Status Report from the UN-launched Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction at the end of 2017 highlights the construction industry as a major target of international organizations seeking to fulfill the UN's Paris climate accord as it calls for countries to adopt global standards on "near-zero energy, zero-emissions" in newly constructed buildings.
Coalition Seeks "Climate-Smart" Funding in Caribbean

January 08, 2018

The UN Development Programme, the World Bank, and other development institutions are supporting an initiative launched by Caribbean national leaders called the Caribbean Climate-Smart Coalition aiming to divert $8 billion of public and private development funding into projects seeking to make the region more resilient to the impacts of global warming.
Companies Face Funding Demands Under Bangladesh Accord

January 08, 2018

Global union groups IndustriALL and UNI have reached a settlement with two fashion brands at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague for funding to remedy fire and building safety issues in the factories of Bangladesh clothing suppliers under an agreement signed by leading fashion brands to fund remediation of such issues after a Bangladesh factory disaster in 2013.
Bank Group Explores BHR Due Diligence Duties

January 08, 2018

The Thun Group of Banks has published guidance advising banks, "in the context of business relationships with clients," to conduct "due diligence" to determine risks of human rights violations as part of the framework of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR) and, in some cases, to use leverage to push clients to refrain from human rights impacts.
Observer Calls for Independent Australian NCP

January 05, 2018

Business and human rights (BHR) adviser Alex Newton has published a report arguing that the Australia is failing to fulfill its international obligations to the BHR agenda through its National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and calling on the government to enhance the NCP's independence.