Background:
The transition to a net zero economy is a key component of mitigating and adapting to climate change, which poses a range of potential threats to human rights. An enormous amount of financing must be mobilized to support these activities. At the same time, the human rights risks associated with greening the global economy—including mining of
critical minerals and green energy production, among others—are gaining growing attention. However, the business and human rights literature has not yet dealt extensively with the complex connections between climate change and sustainable finance for a transition that respects human rights while facilitating efforts to save humanity.
This exploratory workshop aims identify and map current and emerging research by scholars who work on this topic and explore opportunities for further collaboration. The intention is to host a symposium and organize a special issue or edited book volume on this topic in the near future.
Date and Venue:
This event will be on Wednesday, 30 November 2022 16:15-18:00 CET (10:15 am-12:00 pm EST). It will be hybrid, with in person attendance at the University of Geneva and online on Zoom. While it will take place during the 11th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, it is open to non-attendees.
Expression of interest:
If interested in participating, please email the co-organizers Karin Buhmann (kbu.msc@cbs.dk) and Stephen Park (stephen.park@uconn.edu) by Thursday, 24 November 2022 with the following information:
- Name, title, and affiliation
- Any prior and ongoing research, publications, and other work on fair and just transition, business and human rights, and sustainable finance (including any combination thereof)
- Intention to participate in person or online
Priority will be given to those with an established or emergent interest in this topic. The number of participants will be kept large enough to generate interaction and insights and small enough to enable such interaction. Confirmed participants will be informed by Saturday, 26 November 2022, and an agenda and information on the venue will be circulated prior to the event.
Organizers:
This exploratory workshop is organized under the auspices of the Cluster on BHR and Climate Change under the GBSN Impact Community for Business and Human Rights, and the BHRights Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching on Business and Human Rights. The co-organizers are Prof. Karin Buhmann, Director of the Centre for Law, Sustainability & Justice, University of South Denmark, and Professor of Business and Human Rights, Copehagen Business School, and Prof. Stephen Park, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Business and Human Rights Initiative, University of Connecticut (co-leads of the GBSN Cluster on BHR and Climate Change).