Human rights and labour considerations cannot be separated from environmental considerations. The Fairtrade Foundation welcomes the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s new report on Strengthening the UK’s Forced Labour and Human Rights Legislative Framework. There is no room for forced labour and exploitation in business supply chains. However, environmental harm and human rights abuses are two sides of the same coin in supply chains, and the government must restrict both. 

Addressing one without the other creates blind spots that perpetuate injustice and ecological collapse. 

Robust due diligence frameworks, like mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence, are essential to embed fairness and sustainability into global trade. It would be an unacceptable oversight to limit supply chain transparency only to human rights abuses. Preventing environmental harm in supply chains is as important as protecting human rights for three reasons.

Firstly, human rights and environmental protection are deeply interconnected in global supply chains. Environmental degradation, like deforestation, air pollution, toxic waste in water supplies and climate change, directly impacts communities’ health, livelihoods, and access to essentials like clean water and fertile land. Conversely, human rights abuse often occurs in contexts of environmental harm. For example, extractive industries like mining very often rely on forced labour, and polluted environments create unsafe working conditions for farmers and workers. This means that environmental harm in supply chains must be addressed to prevent human rights violations and systemic risks. 

Secondly, anticipating risks to the environment in supply chains and striving for sustainability is what builds resilience into business. Climate-related disruptions such as crop failures and water scarcity, destabilise supply chains, and increase costs for farmers and workers who are already struggling to earn a living income and wage. Pollution and biodiversity loss undermine long-term resource availability. Preserving ecosystems is vital for communities and future generations. Companies that integrate environmental and social due diligence strengthen resilience and competitiveness. 

And thirdly, emerging laws and legal frameworks increasingly integrate both domains. European initiatives like the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive explicitly combine human rights and environmental obligations. These regulations recognise that sustainability cannot be achieved without addressing both dimensions.

The Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) law that Fairtrade and many likeminded organisations propose, aims to hold businesses accountable for preventing harm to people and ecosystems across supply chains. This ought to be the ultimate goal. Failing on either front erodes trust and brand value. It is what consumers, investors, and regulators expect. And it is what businesses should ensure.

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Notes to editors:

• The Fairtrade Foundation has spokespeople available who can discuss the need for a Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) law.

• For media enquiries contact laura.ouseley@fairtrade.org.uk; 07909 875 956 or media@fairtrade.org.uk 

• Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in low-income countries. Visit: fairtrade.org.uk 

• Read Fairtrade’s ‘Brew it Fair’ report. 

• The IASC report can be found here: New Report: Strengthening the UK's Forced Labour and Human Rights Legislative Framework | Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner