KnowTheChain
A resource for companies and investors to address forced labour in global supply chains. Our benchmarks and practical resources provide a roadmap for companies to operate more transparently, while also informing investor decisions.
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Shein, ultra-fast fashion and forced labour risks: Key issues for investors
Company ranking
The benchmarking model seeks to harness the competitive nature of markets to incentivise companies to improve practice: through enhanced transparency, reputational risk and opportunity, and speaking directly to investors, we can apply a unique type of leverage to change corporate behaviour.
Our benchmark reports show how hundreds of companies have performed over time.
Our partners
KnowTheChain is a partnership between the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Verité and Humanity United.
What's new
Shein, ultra-fast fashion and forced labour risks: Key issues for investors
Shein is one of the major players driving the acceleration of ultra-fast fashion. Ahead of the company's anticipated IPO in London, we assessed the company’s public disclosure on addressing forced labour in global supply chains against the KnowTheChain benchmark methodology. The findings illustrate that Shein falls significantly short of leaders in the apparel and footwear benchmark – a red flag for investors given the company’s scope for human rights harm due to its size, speed and purchasing power.
KnowTheChain: Good Practice Guide 2024
This Guide is a resource for companies and investors seeking to understand what strong corporate practice and disclosure looks like with respect to a range of key elements of upstream supply chain human rights due diligence. It draws on data collected by KnowTheChain over eight years of benchmarking global multinational companies across three sectors: Apparel & Footwear, Food & Beverage and ICT.
2023 KnowTheChain Apparel & Footwear Benchmark
KnowTheChain's latest assessment of 65 of the biggest apparel and footwear companies reveals that, with an average score of just 21/100, the sector remained largely reactive to human rights violations rather than evidencing robust, embedded human rights and environmental due diligence practices designed to prevent abuse. In the face of conflict, the climate crisis and economic instability exacerbating the risk of forced labour, company policy and practice is falling short.
2023 KnowTheChain Food & Beverage Benchmark
KnowTheChain assessed the world's 60 largest Food & Beverage companies & found the largest companies in the sector are failing to tackle forced labour risks in their supply chains, with an average score of just 16/100. After six years of benchmarking – progress is stagnating in the sector which is cause for concern, especially against the backdrop of current geo-political and climate crises.
2022 KnowTheChain ICT Benchmark
KnowTheChain assessed the world's 60 largest ICT companies & found significant gaps in corporate practices to address forced labour within the sector. A median score of just 14/100 signals widespread failure to conduct robust human rights due diligence. In a sector that is chronically under-unionised, poor performance on worker voice and purchasing practices, indicates that workers in vulnerable positions are at increased risk.