Following in the footsteps of environmental and social impact statements, human rights due diligence reports have been around for a couple of decades. Since the 2011 release of the “U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” the human rights impact assessment seems to be coming into its own.
The HRIA takes a “more holistic approach” than its environmental and social equivalents, said Farid Baddache, managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at the Business for Social Responsibility, a global nonprofit that helps its member companies develop sustainable business strategies and solutions.
“An environmental impact assessment can look at how much water will be needed by a factory,” he said. “But it will not necessarily connect the dots with how others in the region use water, for instance, in agriculture.”