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The United Nations recently issued an appeal for more than £700m for flood-hit Pakistan. The funds will support families to battle malnutrition and infections in what has now been declared a public health emergency. However, for those that can’t access financial support, they could be at risk of exploitation by traffickers and ultimately fall into modern slavery. Climate change has already left millions at risk of losing their homes and livelihood whilst further environmental degradation pushes even more people to be displaced. For those already at risk, climate change presents a horrific new threat to their freedom.
A report by anti-slavery, From a Vicious to a Virtuous Circle looks at how climate change is having a destabilising effect on urban and rural communities. Climate change is further exacerbated by economic activities that cause environmental degradation. The effects further worsen through pre-existing socio-economic vulnerabilities, deepen exclusion and marginalisation, driven displacement, migration and the heighten risk of modern slavery for families. The report further highlights the close links between climate change and exploitation and why strategic focus on climate change and the environment is necessary.
Overall, climate change impacts directly and indirectly, an array of internationally agreed guarantees on human rights and modern slavery. Governments have an affirmative obligation to take effective measures to prevent & reduce climate impacts to mitigate human rights and modern slavery violations. Fighting climate change requires that climate action is consistent with existing legislation and obligations.
Those who have contributed the least to climate change are unjustly and disproportionately suffering its harm. During COP27, small island nations requested oil giants to pay for damage from climate change and rising sea levels. Antigua Prime Minister called for a ‘global carbon tax’ on fossil fuel companies’ profits. As the effects of climate change increases, and floods, droughts and severe weather events raise, communities impacted will need to find alternative places to live.
A report by IIED, “Climate change, migration and vulnerability to trafficking” details that 42% of households who had left their homes in Palamu, Jharkahand state due to drought have experienced forced labour, bonded labour, debt bondage, wage withholding or exploitative working conditions due to being desperate to find work and support their families.
Modern slavery and human right violations can ultimately be found in our supply chains, if as procurement professionals we don’t identify and survey our supply networks.
Procurement professionals and stakeholders can address social-ecological impacts by changing how we procure to focus on climate and environmental goods, works and services such as purchasing remanufactured items over new. The UK Government spends £300 million a year through their procurement function and the procurement bill makes no references to climate or environmental factors. This is why we’re asking our community to sign a UK Government & Parliament petition to amend the procurement bill to enshrine positive environmental obligations – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/621955
