The ongoing and global transition to renewable energies is not exempt of human rights abuses, which could create risks in a sector聽vital to聽countering聽the climate crisis, the first benchmark of companies in the sector, , shows.
According to UK-based Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), the authors of the benchmark, the renewable energy industry has seen a rise聽in claims of聽human rights violations. At least 197聽allegations against green energy companies have been filed since 2010, with 40 of them registered last year.
Renewables play a key role in reducing C02 emissions, but can come at a cost if companies violate human rights in their operations and supply chains
Those allegations, the watchdog says, include killings, threats and land grabs. They prove that efforts to聽protect聽workers and communities are falling short, it notes.
鈥淩enewable energy聽will聽 play a pivotal role in 鈥榖uilding back better鈥� following the covid-19 pandemic,鈥� says BHRRC deputy director Marti聽Flacks.聽鈥淭his makes it聽even more聽crucial that the renewable energy sector avoid the mistakes of聽other聽energy providers聽and urgently聽build聽respect for聽human rights聽in聽their operations聽and supply chains.鈥澛犅�
The company analyzed 16聽of the largest publicly-traded聽wind and solar producers using聽 developed through seven global consultations, involving more than 100 stakeholders.
The lower the score, the more work companies have to do to ensure respect for human rights in their operations and through their supply chains.
Firms analyzed include Enel, Blackrock, NextEra, Jinko聽Solar, China General Nuclear Power Corp, and聽PowerChina, among others.聽聽
The study concluded聽that nearly half (7/16) of the firms scored below 10%, with three quarters (12/16) scoring below 40%. No entities scored above 53%.聽聽
On the most important indicators, the sector鈥檚 average score was on par with other high-risk industries,聽such as apparel, agricultural products, mining and ICT manufacturing, the NGO said.
The study concluded聽that nearly half (7/16) of the firms scored below 10%, with three quarters (12/16) scoring below 40%. No entities scored above 53%
It doesn鈥檛 include original documents nor full transcriptions of court cases against companies. Instead, it just links to either media reports on an alleged abuse or to research by other NGOs working in the field,聽such as Amnesty International.
Land use
One of the most pressing issues, BHRRC says, is related to land-use as some projects have threatened environmentally sensitive areas land utilized by indigenous聽people. Examples聽include a聽 challenged by reindeer-herders over loss of land; a聽聽sued over lack of community consent, and a聽聽cancelled after lawsuits by farmers聽and local landowners.聽聽
Good practice in the sector does exist, such as a聽聽owned by the indigenous community, a聽聽that聽consulted with local communities about jobs and part-ownership of the project, and聽聽owned by indigenous groups.聽
BHRRC鈥檚 benchmark outlines policy and practice聽gaps the sector聽should address to ensure the transition to a聽net聽zero-carbon聽economy is both聽fast and聽fair.聽聽
The Renewable Energy and Human Rights Benchmark聽uses聽13 core indicators聽from聽the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark聽to assess companies against the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
It uses a further聽19 indicators developed to assess risks specific to the renewable energy industry.聽聽