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Supply chains: State Secretary Tschan and energy sector representatives discuss human rights risks

BMAS/Ralf Rühmeier

State Secretary Lilian Tschan met with the participants of the energy sector dialogue at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on 13 September 2023. Over the past few months, the 21 participants of the multi-stakeholder forum have taken an in-depth look at human rights risks in the supply chains of the German energy industry. The result is a publication outlining the potential human rights risks in six selected industry sections.

The publication is an important first milestone of the energy sector dialogue. By producing this publication, the members of the sector dialogue have done valuable groundwork for the benefit of all companies in the industry. It will serve as a basis for planning concrete measures.

The publication marked the culmination of an intensive discussion and development process bringing together the different stakeholder groups. The aim was to come up with and to document a shared understanding of the industry-specific human rights risks in the energy industry.

The document focuses on six industry sections: photovoltaics, battery storage, wind energy, natural gas, power grids and hydrogen. The sector dialogue thus concentrates on those business areas that are of key importance for Germany’s energy transition. For this reason, the sector dialogue is also helping to make the green transition fair for everybody.

For companies, the publication can serve as a first point of reference for the implementation of the abstract risk assessment under the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains.

The members of the energy sector dialogue have highlighted the valuable contribution of multi-stakeholder processes to the implementation of human rights due diligence. The document published today will serve as an important basis for sustainable supply chain management in the energy industry.

The next milestone of the energy sector dialogue will be the development of plans for concrete preventive and remedial measures by the end of 2023.

Background

The energy sector dialogue was launched in January 2023. The multi-stakeholder forum is made up of representatives from companies, business associations, trade unions, civil society organisations and the German Institute for Human Rights. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs coordinates the sector dialogue. Sector dialogues are an assistance tool offered by the German government as part of the implementation of the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights (NAP). The aim is to improve the human rights situation in global supply and value chains and to help companies implement their human rights due diligence obligations appropriately.

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