WEBINAR: Corporate Human Rights Benchmark: Using the 2023 Findings for Investor Action on Human Rights in the Apparel and Extractives Sectors
The Investor Alliance for Human Rights and the World Benchmarking Alliance's Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB) are pleased to host a webinar to share with institutional investors the findings from the 2023 Benchmark assessment of 110 companies in the apparel and extractives sectors. Key insights from the assessment will assist investors with their engagement of benchmarked companies on their human rights performance.
The CHRB assesses the largest companies across five sectors on a set of human rights indicators that reflect expectations for rights-respecting corporate conduct as detailed in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct.
The CHRB 2023 Insights Report examines the evolution of the scores of 55 apparel companies and 55 extractives companies since the sectors were first ranked in 2017.
This year, the CHRB found that companies that allocate clear responsibility for the implementation of human rights commitments and provide targeted training score 150% better across the benchmark on average.
The Investor Alliance has been coordinating an investor engagement with companies that have lagged behind on the CHRB Benchmark, scoring zero on all human rights due diligence indicators. In May 2021, an Investor Statement signed by 208 investors representing over $5.8 trillion in AUM launched the engagement, asking 106 zero-scorers to improve their human rights performance. Between 2020 and 2023, the CHRB has seen a 6% decrease in zero scorers on HRDD in the apparel and extractive sectors. Average scores on HRDD remain low, with 2.9/12 for Apparel and 3,9/12 for Extractives.
Through this event, the Investor Alliance and CHRB aim to support investors in:
Understanding where the latest benchmarked companies stand on their performance on key human rights indicators and how that compares to other companies and sectors over time;
Learning about leading indicators for more tailored engagement with companies on improved performance on human rights due diligence; and
Coordinating with other investors and experts to support companies in meeting their human rights responsibilities, especially in light of the changing regulatory landscape.
Speakers will include representatives from the Investor Alliance, CHRB, lead investors from the CHRB coordinated engagement, and two benchmarked corporate representatives from an apparel and an extractives company.
Watch the webinar here: