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25 Nov 2024

United Kingdom: Peace Brigades International UK calls for Govt. to adopt Business, Human Rights & Environment Act to prevent harm

In November 2024, PBI UK released a report advocating for the United Kingdom to adopt a Business, Human Rights, and Environment Act that mandates corporate human rights and environmental due diligence. PBI UK argues that adopting this law is part of the UK meeting its international human rights obligations, would help the Government achieve its climate commitments, and would establish a level playing field for UK companies.

The report also highlights the consequences of inadequate regulatory frameworks by sharing six case studies from Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Honduras where communities experienced violence, environmental degredation, and harms to their health, and defenders raising concerns were attacked. The report sets out how a Business, Human Rights, and Environment Act could have helped prevent these harms.

The report includes allegations of human rights and environmental harm related to several companies with links to the UK. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre previously invited:

  • Anglo American, BHP, Cerrejón, and Glencore to respond to allegations of human rights violations and environmental harm in Colombia; responses are available here.
  • Companies financing and involved with the Eólica del Sur project in Mexico to respond to allegations of human rights harm; responses are available here.
  • Ecopetrol and Amerisur to respond to allegations of human rights violations and environmental harm in Colombia; responses are available here.
  • Minera Penmont to respond to the killing of José de Jesús Robledo Cruz and his wife, as well as death threats against other anti-mining activists in Mexico; the response is available here.
  • Freeport McMoRan and Rio Tinto to respond to allegations related to the Grasberg Mine in Indonesia; the responses are available here and here.
  • Inversiones los Pinares and Nucor to respond to allegations related to attacks on human rights defenders in Honduras; neither company responded.

Timeline