Climate change and human rights intersect at ABN AMRO conference

Each year, ABN AMRO organises a conference for its stakeholders around International Human Rights Day. Held for the eighth time on 9 December 2022, the event drew some 130 participants who gathered in Amsterdam to exchange ideas about a just transition for all. Attendees in various parts of the world also followed the conference online. This year’s keynote address was delivered by Diederik Samsom, a former Dutch MP currently serving as head of cabinet for First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.

“Every player in the financial sector is hard at work implementing climate plans,” says Gitte Wouters, Stakeholder Manager and Social Impact Lead with ABN AMRO. “In terms of ESG, environmental factors are definitely getting the most airtime at the moment. We think it’s important not to overlook the social aspect when making these plans, which is why we decided to approach the energy transition from the perspective of human rights this time. Obviously, making the transition is crucial, but how do we ensure that it’s fair and that everyone gets to participate?”

Solar panels

There’s often a disconnect between the energy transition and human rights. One example is the vast amount of land area wind farms need. But what about the land rights of local residents? Another topic on the agenda was human rights violations in solar panel supply chains.

Gitte says, “This is a real dilemma, especially since the demand for solar panels has never been stronger. So what steps can we take to educate ourselves on the manufacturing process? ABN AMRO shared its own approach and its strategy for dialogue at the conference. It’s a sensitive subject, but we received a lot of feedback from participants who said they really appreciated the discussion.”

The human rights conference attracts NGOs, stakeholders in the financial sector, consultants, those active in political circles, and ESG and human rights specialists.

Don’t forget about people

“There’s a growing focus on the concept of a just transition,” says Yuri Herder, Business & Human Rights Advisor at ABN AMRO. “It’s not high on every company’s agenda, though, because the energy transition is already complicated enough. Our aim was to use the conference to shift the focus.”

Yuri continues, “The fundamental message is this: When your company makes the transition to a sustainable business model, don’t lose sight of the impact on people. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights provide a blueprint for how companies can do business while respecting human rights.”

The climate crisis and human rights aren’t new themes. “What is new, though, is that we’re bringing them closer together. It’s increasingly clear that we can’t approach them as separate issues – in fact, they’re communicating vessels. You can’t have one without the other,” says Gitte.

Taking action

The conference ended with lunch, as well as a challenge for the participants: what action did they plan to take before the holiday period to ensure their own organisation made progress in this area?

Gitte continues, “The bank, too, is working on a just transition. To that end, we have included the social component in our climate strategy. This will require both knowledge and a willingness to act, and the conference provided new input on this aspect.”

Yuri adds, “We’re planning to organise workshops for colleagues in 2023 on the just transition and how to approach the issue in our discussions with clients. In fact, we’ve already started to talk to them about the just transition – for example, about how to ensure that the solar panel sector doesn’t just respect the environment, but also respects people.”

Sharing is caring

A word cloud exercise attendees completed after the event revealed two key terms: “awareness” and “action”. Also of importance, Gitte says, is a willingness to share opportunities and dilemmas with one another, since “sharing is caring,” as she puts it: “Obviously, people do a lot of talking at conferences. But that drives thinking, helps forge new partnerships and ultimately spurs action. Each presentation generates new undertakings, responses and connections.”

Yuri concludes, “When it comes to human rights, we sometimes think, ‘Oh, well, that has nothing to do with me,’ a reaction a representative of the Dutch Trade Union Confederation made short work of during the conference. As a representative of workers in the transport sector, he made it clear there’s still plenty of work to do, even within the borders of the EU, to ensure that the transition is a just one. He pointed out that truck drivers are particularly susceptible to exploitation. He said, ‘The products we need to make the energy transition happen aren’t going to walk here by themselves.’ His comments really made it clear how many players in the chain will have to take responsibility for a just transition.”