The intent was to gain an insight into the sectors posing the greatest risks to people and the environment and so to develop pro-active policy; provide the foundation for further dialogue with the sectors and stakeholders on minimising risks; and lead to the development of covenants.
The study focused on 12 priority sectors and divided the risks into three overall categories: environment, labour, and human rights. The study identified a number of sector specific and cross sectoral material risks including:
- Environment
- Greenhouse gas emissions / air pollution (all sectors)
- Water and soil pollution (chemicals, metalworking, agriculture and horticulture, oil and gas, etc.)
- Water scarcity (garments and textile, food, agriculture and horticulture, etc.)
- Labour
- Unhealthy and unsafe working conditions (all sectors)
- Child labour (electronics, textile, food, etc.)
- Women’s rights (in sectors such as electronics, metalworking, garments and textile, food, agriculture and horticulture, etc.)
- Human Rights
- Dispossession of land (chemicals, wood and paper, food, etc.)
- Deprivation of (the right to) a clean, safe, healthy living environment (construction, metalworking, oil and gas, etc.)
- Depletion of natural resources (energy, oil and gas, etc.)
The findings of the SRA could be used as a starting point for dialogue, both within and with the sectors, and has served as a roadmap for concluding International Responsible Business Conduct Agreements (IRCBs). Moreover, the SRA is a practical tool Dutch sectors use to start or further shape their due diligence processes.
