Handley Gill
LEGAL, REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE CONSULTANTS

ESG & Human Rights

Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance (ESG) & Human Rights Compliance

It is the statutory duty of every company director to have regard to the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment, and to the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct. A company’s environmental, social and corporate governance compliance, together with its wider legal and regulatory compliance, support directors in ensuring that they meet these obligations.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued ‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights’ which recognise that “The responsibility to respect human rights is a global standard of expected conduct for all business enterprises wherever they operate”. Ensuring that your organisation - and its supply chain - complies with and respects human rights, equality and other laws is critical to meeting its ESG agenda, with environmental sustainability and responsible business practices also now becoming determining factors in many procurements.

We work with executive and non-executive directors, charity trustees and their organisations to assist them in understanding their obligations and in developing or seeking to audit their ESG/CSR and responsible business practices, and conduct equality impact assessments, human rights impact assessments, community impact assessments, and advise on the establishment of related governance mechanisms.

We recently successfully lobbied the Institute of Directors to reflect that risk management and a focus on business resilience are fundamental tenets of responsible business to which directors must have regard in fulfilling their obligations under the Code of Conduct for Directors.

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DORA do right
DORA do right

Handley Gill’s specialist ESG and human rights consultants consider the matters that financial entities should be considering when assessing their third party ICT service providers’ compliance with ethical and social responsibilities under Article 6(1)(f) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1773 and the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).

Does DORA say do?
Does DORA say do?

With just one month until the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act becomes applicable, Handley Gill’s consultants examine the requirements imposed by DORA on financial entities and, by extension, their third party ICT service providers in relation to their contractual arrangements and obligations to provide information, and identify where financial entities may be seeking to impose adverse commercial terms on their supply chain under the guise of DORA compliance.

Face Off
Face Off

In the first Parliamentary debate on police use of live facial recognition technology, significant concerns were raised in relation to the latitude afforded to chief officers in deploying the biometric artificial intelligence (AI) tool. Handley Gill’s specialist consultants, whose advice on the deployment of LFR was acknowledged during the debate, consider the implications of the new Labour government’s proposals to revisit the legislative and regulatory framework governing the deployment of live facial recognition by law enforcement.

Directors’ cut
Directors’ cut

Handley Gill’s specialist ESG consultants consider the implications for company directors of the Institute of Directors’ recommendations for corporate governance best practice as set out in its voluntary Code of Conduct for Directors, and identify practical measures executive and non-executive directors can take to meet good industry practice in complying with the responsible business principle. Download our free primer on directors’ statutory duties under the Companies Act 2006 and best practice principles of the Institute of Directors’ Code of Conduct for Directors.

Even more reasonable
Even more reasonable

With employers having a matter of weeks to implement reasonable measures to prevent sexual harassment at work to comply with the requirements of the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, Handley Gill's consultants identify the steps employers should take to establish a sexual harassment prevention programme and associated data protection compliance measures. As Labour's Employment Rights Bill would expand the scope of the employer's duty to take all reasonable measures and to address threats posed by third parties, employers should consider voluntarily expanding the scope of their programme now.

Another bauble for the tree?
Another bauble for the tree?

The UK government has today (05 September 2024) joined the US, EU and other countries in signing the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. Handley Gill’s specialist artificial intelligence (AI) consultants consider the implications of this statement of intent for the UK’s current and proposed legislation as announced in the King’s Speech 2024, and what new laws and amendments will be necessary to enable the UK to meet the AI Treaty’s obligations.

On Hand August 2024
On Hand August 2024

August 2024 edition of Handley Gill’s monthly digital newsletter, On Hand, with all the latest developments in data protection (UK, EU and global), cyber security, AI and machine learning, content regulation, online safety, open justice, access to information, reputation management, digital markets regulation, human rights & ESG. Presented in a readily digestible digital format, those who prefer the traditional newsletter format can export the newsletter to pdf.

Duty free?
Duty free?

Handley Gill Limited calls on the Institute of Directors to amend its proposed voluntary Code of Conduct for Directors of UK companies to reflect risk management as a core tenet of responsible business and to promote business resilience across supply chains, to help UK plc win the war on cyber crime and safeguard the UK’s people, property and prosperity.