Business & Human Rights Resource Centre:
An introduction for environment specialists
“Everything and anything that influences our environment directly influences our human condition, and a violation of our environment is a violation of our human rights."
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Jorge Daniel Taillant and Romina Picolotti, co-founders, Center for Human Rights and Environment / Centro de Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (Argentina)
A. Sections of the website that environment specialists find particularly useful
There is a close link between environmental issues and human rights, particularly the right to health. Our website contains thousands of articles and reports about the environmental impacts (positive and negative) of companies in over 180 countries.
Many sections of our website relate to the environment, including:
• over 3600 company-specific sub-sections, including reports about their activities that impact the environment, positively and negatively
2. “Issues” section includes:
3. “Principles” section includes:
4. “UN & intl orgs” section includes:
5. Other relevant sections:
B. Environment specialists on our International Advisory Network
Our International Advisory Network is chaired by Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland. It includes several individuals recognised for their environmental expertise, for example:
- José Aylwin, Coordinator, Indigenous Rights Programme, Universidad de la Frontera, Chile
- Professor Robert D. Bullard, Director, Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University, USA
- Cristina Echavarria, former Director, Mining Policy Research Initiative, Uruguay
- Geoff Evans, Environmental scientist, board member of Mineral Policy Institute, Australia
- Margaret Flaherty, Director, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Switzerland
- Vera Mischenko, President, Ecojuris Institute of Environmental Law, Russia
- Sarojeni V. Rengam, Executive Director, Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific, Malaysia
- Jorge Daniel Taillant, Executive Director, Center for Human Rights and Environment, Argentina
C. Environment specialists among our trustees and staff
Our trustees and staff include:
- John Elkington (trustee), Founder and Chief Entrepreneur of SustainAbility (UK)
- Joanne Bauer (Senior Researcher & New York Representative), Founder of the environmental values programme at the Carnegie Council on Ethics & International Affairs, editor of Forging Environmentalism: Justice, Livelihood and Contested Environments (ME Sharpe, 2006)
- Annabel Short (Senior Researcher), former environmental journalist and specialist in corporate environmental reporting; author of Go Make A Difference!, a book of environmental tips for The Ecologist
D. Companies we have invited to respond to environmental concerns
Our free Weekly Updates are sent to over 3500 opinion leaders worldwide. Before including concerns about a company’s conduct in the Update we invite the company to include its response alongside. This ensures balance, and encourages companies to address concerns raised by civil society. We have sought and received responses to concerns about environmental impacts in all regions, for example:
- USA: "Toxic 100" list of corporate air polluters, prepared by PERI (Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts): We invited the top 10 to respond. Eight did (Du Pont, US Steel, General Electric, Eastman Kodak, Ford, Tyson Foods, Alcoa, ADM), two declined (ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil). PERI sent rejoinders. Click here
- Laos: EDF, to NGOs’ allegations that EDF did not conduct a detailed enough environmental impact assessment for the Nam Theun 2 dam project. Click here
- Peru: Doe Run, to Blacksmith Institute’s inclusion of the site of its La Oroya smelter as one of ten “World’s Worst Polluted Places." Click here
You can sign up for our updates here.
E. Further examples of environmental reports on our website
- Malaysia: Women plantation workers poisoned by pesticide.
- Global: Goldman Sachs becomes first investment bank to adopt detailed environmental policy
- China: State environmental protection agency finds power plants flouting environmental standards, polluting water supplies & misleading inspectors in Guizhou, Jilin and Heilongliang provinces
- Ghana: UNDP, Conservation International and World Cocoa Foundation work with major chocolate companies to help farmers adopt sustainable cocoa production practices
- Ecuador: Medical study finds high levels of cancer risk to indigenous peoples and peasant farmers living in areas contaminated by oil industry
- Global: Greenpeace welcome HP’s commitment to phase out certain toxic chemicals in its products, joining other industry leaders
- USA: Environmental racism – community groups criticise the location of toxic factories near black communities
- South Africa: Residents near Sasol plants live in “constant haze of pollution”
- Mexico: Government recognises Cemex, Ford, Grupo Modelo, Holcim, Mittal, Pemex, Sumitomo for high standard of reporting on greenhouse gas emissions
