Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

Preventing adverse impacts on workers, communities and consumers is one of the most pressing challenges almost every company faces. We seek to tap into the competitive nature of the market as a powerful driver for change in confronting this challenge.

Aim

Business can create jobs and secure livelihoods, provide products and services, support community development and provide tax revenue for the state to invest in the well-being of its people.

Yet, without a sound commitment to human rights and implementation through due diligence, jobs can be precarious with poverty wages, indigenous peoples can be dispossessed of their ancestral lands and individuals can be subjected to modern day slavery, amongst a range of other potential impacts.

The benchmark provides a comparative snapshot year-on-year of the largest companies on the planet, looking at the policies, processes, and practices they have in place to systematise their human rights approach and how they respond to serious allegations. This is a public good for all stakeholders.

The ultimate aim of the benchmark will be achieved incrementally by adding new industries and companies over time.

2020 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

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Publications

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See benchmark results from 2017–2019

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Milestones

  1. First consultation for our methodology review

    May – July 2020

  2. Publication of the fourth Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

    November 2020

  3. Publication of the COVID-19 and human rights study

    February 2021

  4. Second consultation for our methodology review

    May – June 2021

  5. Publication of our updated methodology

    September 2021

  6. Publication of the fifth Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

    November 2022

Our research

Research and data is provided to the CHRB by:

  • Vigeo Eiris – a global provider of environmental, social and governance (ESG) research to investors and public and private corporates. Vigeo Eiris provides the task group of analysts to carry out the data collection and assessment according to the 2016 CHRB Pilot Methodology.
  • Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, who provided company response information from their database of over 3,000 allegations and responses.
  • RepRisk – a leading business intelligence provider, specialising in environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk analytics and metrics. RepRisk provided the CHRB information on serious allegations.

Articles

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Funding and support

As an open-source and wide-scale benchmark, the CHRB relies on the passion and commitment of stakeholders committed to supporting its long-term success. We are grateful to the following organisations that have supported our journey to date:

  • APG Asset Management
  • Aviva Investors
  • Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC)
  • Calvert Investments, now known as Calvert Research and Management
  • CNV International
  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, United Kingdom
  • Department for International Development, United Kingdom
  • Eiris Foundation
  • Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB)
  • Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
  • Nordea Wealth Management
  • RepRisk
  • Swiss Confederation’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
  • VBDO
  • Vigeo-Eiris

Get involved

As we build our work, we continue to engage with stakeholders across the globe through targeted communications with key organisations and representatives. We also encourage meaningful and constructive feedback.

Camille Le Pors

Lead Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

Meet the team

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