Human rights risk and impact assessments
Identify, understand and address human rights risks across your operations and value chains.
What you need
Businesses face increasing expectations from regulators, investors, customers and civil society to demonstrate respect for human rights. To act effectively, organisations first need to understand where risks to people occur throughout their operations, supply chains and business relationships.
A robust human rights risk or impact assessment helps you to:
- identify where people may be harmed across your value chains
- understand the severity and likelihood of human rights impacts
- determine where additional due diligence is required
- prioritise action in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines
- prepare for upcoming and current legislation expectations across multiple jurisdictions
- account for impact assessments by engaging with rightsholders to understand impacts and perspectives accurately.
What we do: Human rights gap assessments
We review your current human rights due diligence systems to understand how well they align with international standards, including the UNGPs and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct.
Our gap assessments typically include:
- reviewing your current policies, procedures, governance and due diligence processes
- assessing alignment with legal requirements across the UK, the EU and global jurisdictions
- identifying where human rights responsibilities are unclear or insufficiently embedded
- evaluating how responsibilities sit across functions such as procurement, HR and sustainability
- assessing the extent to which risks are monitored, mitigated and addressed
- identifying gaps in grievance mechanisms, escalation pathways and remediation procedures
- providing actionable recommendations to strengthen due diligence and governance systems
- exploring new methods for stakeholder engagement, including technology-enabled worker voice programmes.
What we do: Human rights risk assessments
We help you identify, analyse and prioritise actual and potential risks to people across your operations, supply chains and business relationships. Our approach follows risk-based due diligence principles and adapts to contexts where visibility is limited.
Our risk assessments include:
- mapping your value chain to identify exposure points and high-risk geographies
- analysing risks to workers, communities and vulnerable groups
- reviewing supplier practices, labour conditions and recruitment models
- evaluating severity, likelihood, scale and irremediability to prioritise action
- considering intersectional issues such as climate-related displacement, resource pressures and community impacts
- reviewing current controls and recommending improvements
- creating risk profiles and messaging to support reporting or customer enquiries.
What we do: Human rights impact assessment
We undertake human rights impact assessments (HRIA) to understand how your business activities may cause, contribute to or be directly linked to adverse impacts on people. Our approach is grounded in meaningful stakeholder engagement and aligned with UNGP expectations.
Our HRIA includes:
- conducting desktop research, contextual analysis and human rights baselining
- engaging affected stakeholders, community groups and workers through interviews, focus groups and technology-based methods
- assessing actual and potential impacts on rights, such as labour rights, non-discrimination, child rights, land and community rights and access to remedy
- analysing root causes, business relationships and structural drivers
- developing clear recommendations, mitigation measures and monitoring frameworks
- supporting companies to design and implement action plans that address salient risks and impacts.
What we do: Supply chain risk assessments
We help organisations understand human rights risks in complex supply chains, where visibility may be limited and where risk is often highest.
Our supply chain assessments include:
- mapping direct and indirect suppliers, tiers and sourcing models
- identifying high-risk raw materials, sectors and geographies
- using our proprietary supplier risk assessment tool to assess the inherent human rights risks associated with country and business activity to support prioritisation and further action.
What you get
Our assessments give you clarity and direction so that you can act responsibly and confidently, including:
- a clear overview of your human rights risks and gaps
- prioritised areas for action and improved due diligence
- evidence to inform modern slavery statements, environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures and legislative reporting
- practical recommendations aligned with UNGPs and OECD standards
- strengthened governance frameworks and accountability structures
- a foundation to build a responsible, future-ready business
- better stakeholder relationships and strengthened social licence to operate.
Are human rights embedded in your business?
We can help identify, prevent and mitigate risks and remediate impacts across your value chain.
Talk to us