HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY 2024-2027

Promoting
Human Rights
for all

Sustainability is our businessIntroduction

Contents

In this strategy we set out our approach to respecting andOur vision & objectives

4

promoting human rights across our value chain, consistent

Our governance7

world’s leading organizations, the UN Guiding Principles for

Our operations & supply chain

12

Our client services

15

Our collaborations

18

Our key targets

23

with our purpose to shape a sustainable future with theBusiness and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
Our approach focuses on those areas most material to us abusiness: our own operations, our work with clients and ourcollaborations with wider stakeholders.
ERM is committed to stepping up to make a difference. This
strategy sets out our program of action for the next three
years and we will report annually on our progress in our
Sustainability Report.

Special thanks to the ERM employees who kindly donated their photographic
imagery for use in this Strategy.
Front cover photo credit: Vikrant Wankhede, Thailand

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

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Respecting & promoting human rights acrossour value chain

Our value chain

ERM is the world’s largest specialist sustainability
consultancy. We partner with the world’s leadingorganizations to create innovative solutions to sustainability

Direct operations

Supply chain

challenges that meet the needs of today while preserving
opportunity for future generations.
Consistent with UNGP Principle 13, ERM is committed to avoid causing or contributing
to adverse human rights impacts through our own activities and seeks to prevent or
mitigate such adverse impacts linked to our own operations or through our business
relationships.
We adopted a value chain approach to our management of material human rightsrelated risks, opportunities and impacts. Upstream, our value chain includes employees,
partners and investors who are shareholders in the business, our offices and thematerials required to support them. ERM has 149 offices in over 40 countries andterritories and employees 8,000 people globally.

GOVERNANCEDISCLOSURE

POLICIESAND
PROCESSESPERFORMANCE

Downstream, it encompasses our clients, the communities they operate in andtheir own supply chains, alongside partner organizations, global society and theenvironment.  Across our value chain, we seek to work with organizations who share
our purpose and values. Our supply chain is diverse, spanning the breadth of our global
offices and countries within which we deliver our services. It encompasses many services
and activities, from site investigation to translation services. We take care when forming
business relationships to honor our standards of business conduct and ethics.

Clients

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

Partnerships

3

Our vision& objectives
A material issue for our business

5

Our salient human rights issues & impacts6

Photo credit: Juliana Ramos, Argentina

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Our impacts & objectives
A material issue for our business

Human rights represents one of ERM’s key material topics, as we look to further identify, manage and mitigate those risks andimpacts we cannot avoid through the delivery of our operations and across our wider value chain. We seek to manage these
impacts in accordance with our purpose and commitments, and in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Risks
There are abroad range of issues which require proactive
management to ensure we respect and promote therights of our employees. These include:• Recruitment and compensation practices• Modern slavery risk
• Health, safety and wellbeing• Labor rights• Diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging

Risks and opportunities
Direct operations

Supply chain• The impact of the delivery of our commissioned
services on the communities in which they aredelivered

GOVERNANCE
GOVERNANC EDISCLOSURE

Risks and opportunities• Ensuring our client and project opportunities alignwith our values and objectives• Ensuring our suppliers align with our values andobjectives

POLICIES
POLICIESAND
PROCESSE
PROCESSESS• Visibility of potential violations of human rights
including modern slavery risks
Opportunities• Ensuring those whom we partner with align with ourvalues and objectives

PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE• Our services to clients to support their human rights
management• Collaborations and thought leadership seeking topromote human rights• The impact of our client services on the communities
in which they operate and wider society• The work of the ERM Foundation in supporting those
suffering discrimination, disadvantage or exclusion incommunities across the globe

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

Clients

Partnerships

5

Our vision & objectives
Our vision is to work in paternship with the world’s leading organizations to promote human rights for all.
We will achieve this through our key objectives, which include:

Photo credit: Riccardo Boniardi, Italy

Photo credit: Celine Nio, Singapore

Photo credit: Hanh Nguyen, Vietnam

Photo credit: Edward Huang, Taiwan

Our governanceOur people and offices

Our supply chain

Our clients services

Our collaborations

To continue to evolve ourgovernance, performanceand disclosure of humanrights in accordance with thecommitments and approach
outlined in this strategy.

To respect and promote humanrights among our employees,
those whom we work with andthe communities within which
we operate and ensure our offices
and other places of work aremanaged in accordance with ourcommitments in this strategy.

To evolve governance of humanrights across our supplier basein line with the approach
outlined in this strategy and
ERM’s Sustainable Supply Chain
Management Strategy.

To deliver our services consistent
with our commitment to respect
and promote human rights, andsupport our clients in respecting
and promoting human rights
across their own operations andsupply chain.

To collaborate with stakeholders
to promote human rights for all
in line with our commitment
to thought leadership andmaximizing our impact.

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Our governance
Board oversight

8

Leadership & accountability

8

Policies9

Due diligence

10

Grievance mechanisms & remedy

11

Photo credit: ERM

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Our governance
Board Oversight
The Board of Directors and Executive Committee are
ERM’s highest governing bodies. The Board is the highest
authority and ultimately responsible for the strategic
direction, governance and oversight of The ERM
International Group Limited (as parent company of the
ERM “Group”) on behalf of its stakeholders. The ESG Risk
and Sustainability Steering Group serves as an advisorygroup to the ERM Board. It works in conjunction with theBoard to oversee the identification and mitigation ofenvironment, social and governance (ESG) andreputational risks, including human rights and modern
slavery risks.
The Executive Committee (ExCom), which feeds into
Board, has accountability for managing the sustainability
impacts of the organization, including human rights andmodern slavery risks throughout our operations. The
ExCom meets seven times a year to discuss operational
performance and to ensure key strategic responses tohuman rights related risk and opportunity are being
implemented effectively. The ExCom is supported by the
ExCom Sustainability Working Group, which advises on
all aspects of operationalizing sustainability across ourvalue chain, including our management of human rights
and modern slavery risks through strategy,
programmatic priorities, target setting and resourcing.

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

The Working Group reports into ExCom on all aspects ofoperational sustainability strategy, performance andreporting and is supported by our subject matter experts
across all aspects of sustainability, including humanrights and modern slavery management.
Supporting ExCom are our operational and businesssenior leadership, who are responsible for our
performance and adherence to organizational policies
and programs, including our approach to human rights
and management of modern slavery risks across thevalue chain. For further information please refer to the
ERM Sustainability Report and Modern Slavery
Statement.

Board

ERM ESG Risk
& Sustainability
Steering Group

Executive
Committee

ExComWorkingGroup

SME
WorkingGroup

Leadership and accountability
The promotion of human rights and management ofmodern slavery risks is fundamental to ERM’s purpose
and is led from the top of our organization by our Group
CEO, Tom Reichert.
ERM’s Global Leader of Sustainability and Risk, Sabine
Hoefnagel, has overall accountability for our strategic
approach to risk, which includes those risks associatedwith modern slavery. She is a member of ERM’s Board
and ExCom, co-chairs and convenes the ESG Risk andSustainability Steering Committee to the Board andchairs the ExCom Sustainability Working Group.
Our Global Leader of Sustainability and Risk works inconjunction with our Chief General Counsel and Chief
Legal Compliance Officer to oversee compliance with the UK
Modern Slavery Act (2015), the Canadian Modern Slavery
Act (2023) and the Australian Modern Slavery Act (2018).
Their work is supported by our senior leaders, including our
Global Head of Risk and Global Sustainability Director, andsupported by wider functional leads across the business.
Across our global operations, our Partners assume a key
leadership role in implementing our global approach. In
accordance with the UN Declaration of Human Rights,
ERM also believes it is the individual and collective
responsibility of all our employees to respect and promote
human rights. To this end, all employees are expected todemonstrate leadership in our management of humanrights. Our employees are trained and empowered toreport any concerns they may have through our legal andcompliance team, project management hierarchy or
through our helpline. Further details are subsequently set
out in this strategy document.
8

Policies
As part of our ongoing support for the promotionof international human rights, we have continued
to use our participation in the UN Global Compact
and other international initiatives as the basis toimprove our policies, procedures and approach tobusiness. All policies referred to in this section canbe viewed on erm.com.

Human rights is embedded in our operational
governance. Our Business Code of Conduct and Ethics
is available in 18 languages and, all employees must
act in accordance with this. Our code sets out clear andunequivocal requirements on adherence to the highest
ethical standards, legal compliance, and conducting
business with uncompromising honesty and integrity
though our business values, professional standards,
employee training and our internal systems andpractices.

ERM’s Human Rights, Modern Slavery and Child Labour
Policy prohibits the use of child or forced labor in ourown operations and that of our supply chain and any
involvement by ERM with organizations that support
prohibited labor practices or human trafficking. It
outlines the expectations of both employees and business
partners in respect of human rights, modern slavery
and child labor risks, including actions taken should thepolicy be breached. This policy works in conjunction with
ERM’s purpose and beliefs and Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics.

Our Supplier Code of Conduct outlines our commitment
to working with suppliers who have embedded
sustainability, diversity and ethical practices within
their own organizations and supply chains. It contains
specific reference to labor and human rights andarticulates that suppliers we work with must have public
commitments and processes in place to prohibit slavery
in all its forms as well as unlawful discrimination andharassment of workers across their supply chains. The
code also protects the right for freedom of associationand employment.

ERM’s Sustainability Policy articulates ourcommitments to sustainability. Including social andeconomic development of communities, which canmeaningfully contribute to the alleviation of modern
slavery. The policy applies globally to all ERM entities
and all ERM employees. Our policy framework andcorporate governance disclosures are mapped in ERM’s
Sustainability Report, the Global Reporting Initiative(GRI) Index, and in ERM’s Communication of Progress to
the UN Global Compact.

ERM’s Diversity, Equity, Equality and Inclusion Policy
outlines our commitment to building an inclusive culture
where diversity is welcomed; our work environment isinclusive; and equal and equitable opportunity in all
aspects of employment is available to all employees. Our
Partners use our purpose, values, policies, and internal
governance arrangements to support out working culture
based on sustainability principles, which includes fairlabor and treatment to all.

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGYOur Global Leader of Sustainability and Risk, Sabine Hoefnagel, attended the UN
Global Compact Network UK’s “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” event to markInternational Women’s Day 2024.

9Due diligence
ERM is committed to identifying and addressing impacts to human rights and modern
slavery throughout our value chain. Consistent with UNGP Principle 15, we undertakea range of due diligence to assess potential risks around human rights and modern
slavery arising from the delivery of our operations and client work and have remedial
measures in place to address behaviors and practices which we consider inconsistent
with our Human Rights Policy.
We encourage all employees, clients, suppliers, and the wider general public to raise
ethical and legal concerns about the operations of ERM or its supply chain, including
potential human rights concerns. We treat all concerns raised seriously and have a zerotolerance approach for retaliation.
Our offices and people
We will continue to expand our due diligence assessment of human rights risks,
opportunities and impacts arising from the operation of our offices and people.
This includes the undertaking of detailed country level human rights due diligenceassessments, as well as assessments of our service lines to identify and address
potential human rights risks and opportunities, and will incorporate appropriate
actions into our review and update of this strategy.

STARR: Additional assessment of commercial opportunities with potential
heightened risk
The STARR process provides a framework for further due diligence of those projects
identified as potentially having a higher sustainability risk, including potential impacts
to human rights. The opportunity lead must provide further information which is thenconsidered by our Global Leader for Sustainability and Risk and Global Head of Risk
who will escalate to the ESG Risk and Sustainability Steering Group as appropriate andfurther information or mitigation measures may be required.
Project Management Model: Supporting the delivery of our project work
Our Project Management model ensures that all ERM work is led by a Partner in Charge(PiC) with the support of a Project Manager (PM). It is the responsibility of the PiC and
PM to ensure that all projects are conducted in accordance with ERM’s policies andprocesses, and pursuant to ERM’s purpose of being a sustainability leader. Should the
Project Management Team have any concerns about the current or future directionof the project, they are required to report these through our grievance mechanisms
subsequently set out in this strategy.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Due diligence of our commercial
opportunities
Our CRM tool includes pre-screening of new clients to identify potential issues withthe sustainability performance of prospective clients, this including a due diligenceassessment. All opportunities must be recorded on the system which includes screening
questions on the nature of the work to be undertaken. If the screening identifies thepotential for such impacts, the opportunity must then be taken through the ERM
Sustainably Transparent Assessment of Risk and Reward (STARR) process.

Photo credit: ERM

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Grievence mechanisms & remedy
The ERM Helpline
Our reporting system, The ERM Helpline, was implemented in 2018 and is a service
hosted by a third-party provider, Navex. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a yearby phone or online and is available in 30 languages. Concerns about our business
operations and any other form of unethical business conduct, including activities
which may negatively impact biodiversity and nature can be reported anonymously
without fear of retaliation.

• Where the reported issue involves clients or client contractors and suppliers, the issue
will be explored with the client and remedial measures identified.
• Where appropriate, ERM will engage third parties, including law enforcement
stakeholders to investigate identified potential incidences of modern slavery.
We are committed to addressing any issues promptly but do not put time limits of theduration of time we will take to investigate issues and identify appropriate remedy. We
will, however, maintain engagement with those involved during the course of this time.

Wider channels
As previously set out in our approach to due diligence, there are other mechanisms bywhich employees can raise any concerns regarding potential abuse of human rights
and risk of modern slavery. These include:• Through the Partner in Charge or Project Manager in relation to project delivery• Through their Business Unit Managing Partner, Human Resources lead or LegalCounselRemedyConsistent with UNGP Principle 15, ERM is committed to investigating, addressing andremedying where possible and appropriate. Our protocol includes:• ERM makes all appropriate measures to protect those who raise modern slavery
issues – reference Whistleblower Policy and anonymity of Helpline• Exploration of the issue or concern with the stakeholder who identified it (if known)
and wider operational or project management team (if internal).
• All modern slavery concerns are escalated internally with appropriate businesspersonnel, Sustainability, Risk and Legal.
• As appropriate, Legal will report to ExCom on the issue of concern and any proposed
remediation which has been identified during the course of investigation.
Photo credit: ERM

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Our operations& supply chain
Our operations

13

Our supply chain

14

Photo credit: Celine Nio, Singapore

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Our operations
Our people & offices
ERM’s primary asset is our people, 8,000 of whom work in our operations. Respect
and promotion of the human rights of our people is one of our most material issues,
this encompassing all aspects of employee management from recruitment to ongoing
human resource, health, safety and wellbeing.
People management
ERM has an extensive People Function operational across our global operations andaddressing the breadth of our people function, from recruitment and retention toemployee management, health and wellbeing, and professional career development. We
have robust procedures in place to ensure adherence to local labor laws and regulations,prevent the use of unpaid workers and review our compensation to mitigate againstmaterial and unpremeditated pay equity issues. We adhere to the UN Global Compact
and ILO standards on collective bargaining. We are committed to respecting andpromoting human rights across all aspects of our people management. For further
information on our approach please refer to the ERM Sustainability Report.

Our offices
We have offices in over 40 countries but our work has an even broader geographicalreach. Our management of human rights is, therefore, global in its approach whilst
recognizing that the profile of risks, opportunities and impacts can vary on a country or
regional basis, subject to a range of factors including geo-political and socio-economic
context.
Our offices are run by our Operations and Facilities Teams, under the leadership of ourbusiness unit senior leadership. All offices operations must adhere to our global policies
and protocols, including those pertaining to human rights and modern slavery andoffice management team are required to undertake training in modern slavery. We will
be further developing guidelines to equip our office management staff with further
understanding of how modern slavery risks may arise in relation to this specific aspectof our operations. We will also commence further due diligence assessments of thosecompanies with whom we lease our offices, as part of the ERM Sustainable Supply
Chain Management Strategy.

Training
The delivery of our human rights and modern slavery risk management is theindividual and collective responsibility of all employees at ERM. We have expanded
our mandatory human rights and modern slavery training module to encompass all
employees, regardless of position or seniority. As part of introductory mandatory
training, ERM employees are expected to review our Global Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics, Sustainability Principles, and Modern Slavery training within the first twomonths of joining the firm. All employees must also complete refresher training toensure their knowledge and awareness remains up to-date.

Photo credit: Edward Huang, Taiwan

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Our supply chain
The nature of ERM’s business as a services company
means that we subcontract services to support thedelivery of our work. We work with suppliers andsubcontractors that demonstrate the following attributes,
consistent with our own values:• Incorporate safe practices in all commercial decisions;• Exhibit a high level of integrity at all times and in all
dealings;• Commit to enhancing human rights and wider
sustainability performance;• Demonstrate outstanding quality of work; and• Provide cost savings innovation.
Our supply chain is an area where the potential forhuman rights violations exists beyond our direct
operational control. Our focus, therefore, is on identifying
the opportunities to further strengthen our visibility,
management and remediation of potential violations in
our supply chain.
To this end we have strengthened our requirementsfrom all suppliers in respect not just of adherence
to our policies and procedures on human rights andsustainability more broadly, but we have also instituted
new requirements for suppliers to document their own
policies and management.

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

Screening of eligible subcontractors
ERM’s process for engaging subcontractors includes
the use of a third-party supply-chain risk management
solution to identify potential or known risks. We combine
this with our Active Leadership Audit Program andsubcontractor qualification assessments to collate andevaluate data on our use of subcontractors to ensure weare adequately managing and mitigating risk.
We review our suppliers’ hiring practices, from asking
how they recruit employees to requesting records thatverify they follow anti-trafficking efforts. This can
include thorough background checks and efforts toconfirm submitted documents. A high degree of due
diligence is conducted when engaging labor brokers,
especially in high-risk jurisdictions. We will continue tofocus on this during FY25.
We require all subcontractors and third-party suppliers
to act in accordance with our Supplier Code of BusinessConduct and Ethics (“Supplier Code”), which includes
specific clauses around human rights and modern
slavery, and our broader Human Rights Policy. Ourstandard contractual Terms and Conditions bind
suppliers to our Supplier Code and therefore provide
explicit expectations and requirements in respect toaddressing human rights, including modern slavery. The
Supplier Code consolidates updates on key internationalterms such as anti-bribery and corruption, human rights(including prohibitions for all forms of modern slavery)
and our health and safety contractual requirements. Ourstandard form subcontractor agreements and supplierrelationship management system were all updated withthe supplier code as part of its implementation.

Ongoing management of our subcontractors and wider
supply chain
Through our subcontractor management system,
we introduced new data and performance reporting
requirements during FY24. All subcontractors on oursystem are now requested to provide information on
their approach and management of human rights risk,
including that of modern slavery.  
We will further engage with our subcontractors on theissue of human rights and modern slavery and expand
engagement across the top tier of our supplier spend.
Our focus will remain on identifying and capitalising
upon opportunities to strengthen our procedures,enhance visibility, engage and reduce risk. For further
details, please refer to the ERM Sustainable Supply Chain
Management Strategy.

Photo credit: Hanh Nguyen, Vietnam

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Our client
services
Delivery of our services16

Our human rights capabilities

17

Photo credit: Edward Huang, Taiwan

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Delivery of our services
Impact of our services
As a leading provider of sustainability consultancy
services, including environmental, health, safety, risk,social and human rights consulting among others, wehave a broad sectoral coverage, encompassing clients
across industry sectors. Our most material risk andopportunities to the services we provide to clients, howthese are conducted and the impact which they cangenerate with respect to management of human rights
and modern slavery risks.
Conducting our work with clients andin-field
We provide both office-based services and on-site work
all over the world. Our work takes us to a diverse range oflocations including manufacturing plants, construction
sites, mine sites, offshore and onshore rigs, factories,
agricultural and rural areas, among many others. We
are alert to the potential for our employees to observe
abuse of human rights or modern slavery whilst ‘infield’, on client sites and/or sites owned and managed
by third parties. Our training to employees emphasizes
the importance of remaining vigilant to this potential
and reporting any suspected incidence through theappropriate channels, as outlined in our grievancemechanism section of this strategy.

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The impact of our client work on communities
We undertake work for clients across a broad spectrumof services and are working to identify and manage
the risks of modern slavery or human rights violations
within these, particularly in services such as lowcarbon energy transition and permitting where risks
may emerge in respect of where and how client projects
may be located, constructed and operated. To support
our clients identify and proactively reduce or prevent
potential human rights issues in the delivery of theirwork, we are working to embed social performance work,
including modern slavery risk management, acrossall our our service lines. We are evolving our impact
methodologies to identify and measure the social impactof our services, which includes consideration of humanrights issues.
Supporting our clients with management of human rights
Drawing upon leading expertise and knowledge of local
context across the globe, our social and human rights
consulting services teams act as advisors to companies
in a diverse range of sectors at the corporate and asset
levels, to conduct human rights due diligence andmanage social impacts.
We have expertise in a wide range of human rights areas,
including helping clients to identify and address supplychain impacts and risks, setting up and upgrading
grievance mechanisms, and reporting on human rights
and modern slavery due diligence.

Photo credit: Thien Nguyen, Vietnam

HIGHLIGHT:

Canadian Modern Slavery Statement
ERM’s human rights and modern slavery practitioners
have extensive experience supporting issues related tohuman rights, child and forced labor, modern slavery
and human trafficking. We work with companies
around the world from a variety of sectors.
In FY24, our Social Performance and Human Rights
team supported a Canadian-based international
packaging company to develop a modern slavery
statement that fulfils the requirements of Canada’s
new Modern Slavery Act, as well as the UK Modern
Slavery Act and the California Transparency in Supply
Chains Act. ERM reviewed equivalent requirements of
the respective acts and incorporated existing and new
information, liaising with the client to ensure it was fit
for purpose.

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Our human rights capabilities
We have been global providers of human rights, social,and environmental solutions for over 50 years andhave combine our global footprint with local expertise.
ERM helps clients to understand human rights,
prevent or remediate negative impacts, and go further
to operate in a manner that respects and advances
human rights, which positively contributes to theirsocial license to operate and their shareholder value.
Led by our Global Leader for Social Performance andHuman Rights Alexandra Guaqueta we have a dedicatedteam based in key locations around the world who
have expertise in managing a range of human rights
issues. We combine an intimate understanding of
emerging international and national requirements withpractical on the ground experience to support clientsin understanding and fulfilling their human rights
responsibilities. This helps protect access to capital,
develop and maintain a social license to operate, andensure regulatory compliance. Our multidisciplinary
teams with in-depth human rights and environmental
expertise across ESG topics are at the forefront of humanrights and environmental regulatory developments.
We advise clients on a range of issues relating to modern
slavery, including due diligence; policy and strategy
development; training; gap, risk, and impact assessments
in operations and supply chains; disclosures.
ERM offers a modular approach to Human Rights andEnvironmental Due Diligence (HREDD) which can be

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

tailored to reflect the maturity, starting point and othercontext for clients and their supply chains.
Our social impact service offering encompasses:• Social performance and impact• Human rights• Strategic communications and stakeholder engagement• Political risk advisory
ERM subject matter experts have expertise relating to:• UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights• Conducting gap assessments against EU and US
regulations• Conducting salient and detailed human rights impact
and risk assessments, identifying human rights risks
related to climate• Updating human rights policies, training leadershipand staff• Identifying and addressing supply chain impacts andrisks• Set up and upgrade grievance mechanisms• Report on human rights and modern slavery due diligence

With over 300 specialists, ERM brings in-depth
expertise in Social Performance and Human Rights
to support our clients in enhancing their governanceand management of human rights across the 40
countries we operate in.

Photo credit: Karunakaran Nagalingam, India

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Our
collaborations
Our partnerships

19

The Sustainability Institute 

20

The ERM Foundation

21

Photo credit: Melissa Arteaga, Colombia

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Our partnerships
We take care in forming business relationships so that we honor our standards ofbusiness conduct and ethics. We are required by various laws and regulations toundertake certain due diligence in relation to clients, subcontractors or other third
parties. We comply with the applicable trade sanctions and anti-money launderinglaws. To do this, ERM conducts a due diligence screening process to check those withwhom we seek to form relationships.
In addition to our ongoing internal program of action and work for clients onhuman rights, ERM participates in a number of external engagements and strategicinternational partnerships pertaining to modern slavery and human rights. We act
as advisors to multinational corporations on all issues related to climate change,
human rights, UN Global Compact initiatives, OECD standards, and the Sustainable
Development Goals.

Highlighted below are some of our partnerships and engagements that allow us todeliver on our human rights strategy and prioritise the prevention of modern slavery in
our own operations and supply chain.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBSCD) is a global, CEOled organization of over 200 businesses working together to accelerate the transition
to a sustainable word. ERM is a founding member of the WBCSD and actively
participates through secondments, the involvement of the ERM Sustainability
Institute, and engagement of our Group CEO and other senior leaders.
ERM is a member of the Business Commission for Tackling Inequality (BCTI).
We supported the launch of the BCTI’s flagship report and will be part of thecorporate action to address rising inequality which is inextricably linked to modern
slavery. ERM’s Global Leader of Social Performance and Human Rights serves as aCommissioner to BCTI.
The UN Global Compact (UNGC) brings companies together with UN agencies,
international labor organizations and civil society to support universal
environmental and social principles in the areas of human rights, labor, theenvironment, and anti-corruption. ERM has been a signatory of the UNGC
since 2011 and strives to embrace and promote these values within our sphereof influence and across the supply chain. ERM is a signatory of the Women’s
Empowerment Principles as part of our commitment.

Photo credit: Belinda Ng, United Kingdom

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The ERM Sustainability Institute
The ERM Sustainability Institute is one of our key
platforms by which we deliver thought leadership on
human rights and the broader sustainability agenda.
The purpose of the Institute is to define, accelerate andscale sustainability performance by delivering actionableinsights for business. Publications, blogs and podcasts
on human rights can be accessed at: ERM Sustainability
Institute.
Podcasts and blogs:• Accelerating mining projects by putting communities
and the environment first.
• Human Rights-based approaches to TNFD: what does aleading approach look like?
• Engaging with Indigenous communities featuring
Affinity North and Stratos

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The ERM Foundation
As a result of our philanthropic work through the ERM Foundation, weare actively involved in eliminating the economic disempowerment thatdrives modern slavery.
The ERM Foundation was established in 1995 to allow ERM and our
employees to provide support for nonprofit organizations and social
enterprises that share our commitment to creating a more sustainable
and equitable world. Working across the globe, the Foundation blends
grant funding, professional pro bono support, and volunteering to createa lasting impact and measurable contributions to the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). The focus of the Foundation is centred on
projects and programs at the intersection of nature, net-zero, and social
sustainability. The promotion of human rights, including the eradicationof modern slavery, is at the core of the ERM Foundation, both throughthe nature of the work we partner with organizations on, but alsowith respect to the standards and ethical practice required from theorganizations with whom we partner.
The Foundation has works with organizations such as Palesa Pads inSouth Africa, ADSEI in Colombia, and Brighter Communities Worldwide
in Kenya to provide education, training, and access opportunities forpeople who may otherwise be overlooked or denied such opportunities
and/or face discrimination or marginalisation.

2,766

livelihoods supported through ERM
Foundation initiatives in FY24.

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Photo credit: ADSEI

ADSEI

www.adseicolombia.com
ADSEI works to promote industrial ecology and the sustainability of Colombiancommunity development projects. The ERM Foundation is supporting asustainable economic development initiative to create resilient livelihood
alternatives for two ecotourism-dependent communities impacted by the global
pandemic and increasing climate change-related events. A team of ERM experts
in Colombia is conducting a socio-environmental study of the region, working
with community residents and project stakeholders to identify and assess thefeasibility of potential conservation projects and their associated livelihoods.
The goal is to improve communities´ livelihoods by identifying synergies withecotourism-related activities.

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community
members involved

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The ERM Foundation
Future Fund program

SolarAidwww.solar-aid.org
Millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa rely on expensive, toxic and dangerous
lighting sources, such as candles and kerosene lamps. SolarAid’s mission is to lightup every home, school and clinic in Africa by 2030 using clean, safe solar power. It
does so by innovative programs to reach the poorest communities with clean, safe
light and by supporting entrepreneurs to run their own solar businesses which
accelerates access to clean energy.

The ERM Foundation’s Future Fund
program is a multi-year funding initiativethat supports projects at the intersection of
biodiversity protection, climate action andsustainable livelihoods.
More information on our commitment to
the protection of human rights and theelimination of modern slavery, plus ourwider projects and commitments can befound in our annual sustainability reporton erm.com.
To read more about the work of the ERM
Foundation, read our Annual Review.

The ERM Foundation is supporting SolarAid’s Mayi Walas (women solar
entrepreneurs) program in rural Malawi, to help establish and support 60 new groups
over the next three years. These women will be upskilled and provided with theresources needed to start and maintain successful solar energy businesses, helping
to accelerate clean energy access. ERM employees are assisting SolarAid with project
management and have raised awareness of this project throughout the ERM region.
During its first year as part of the Future Fund program, SolarAid has recruited,trained and provided loans to 60 Mayi Walas groups. In the next phase of the Future
Fund, SolarAid plans to further leverage this support by providing ongoing training
and helping the women become members of FEBCO (a savings and credit cooperative
established by SolarAid) to access larger loans and long-term business support. By
the end of year three, SolarAid will have supported 1,320 women to become selfsufficient entrepreneurs and provided up to 70,000 people with access to clean, safe
and affordable solar light.

“The 1,320 individuals who make up the Mayi Walas groups
have blossomed into accomplished entrepreneurs, all thanks tothe empowering initiatives of the ERM Foundation.”
SolarAid

Photo credit: SolarAid/Chris Gagnon

Year one figures

60

Mayi Wala groups havereceived initial training

3,281
Solar lamps sold

2,852

Children can now study
after dark

16,720People now have access to clean,safe and affordable lighting

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

22

Our keytargets
Key targets for 2024-2027

24

Transparent & accessible reporting 

25

Photo credit: Kenneth Miller, United States

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY23

Key targets for 2024-2027
Our targets align with our identified key risks, opportunities and impacts, as identified in our double materiality
assessment process.
Strategy & governanceOperations

Supply chain• Review and evolve policies as required• Launching updated communications and awarenesscampaign on human rights across business• Further embed human rights as part of our sustainability
requirements in procurement criteria• Refreshing our Modern Slavery training as appropriate toencompass broader human rights issues• Implement human rights supplier engagement program• Further expanding due diligence procedures to support
partnerships and acquisitions• Undertaking three regional/sectoral due diligenceassessments using ERM’s Human Rights Country Risk Tool
• Review and update grievance mechanisms and remedy as
required• Conduct annual review of Strategy update as appropriate• Further integrating human rights into ProjectManagement training• Developing further guidance/enhanced training to officemanagement, recruitment and acquisitions teams• Require supplier self-assessment and reporting on humanrights including modern slavery• Identify diverse suppliers; set supplier diversity targets
and monitor spend/disclose progress against targets• Deliver upon our global DEIB programs and targets

Clients

Partner organizations

Data & disclosure• Embedding social advisory work, including modern
slavery risk management, across our service lines• Continue to support leading organizations through theparticipation of our subject matter experts• Measure and report on societal impact of our client work

• Further developing our service offering to clients on basisof identified need

• Continue to provide thought leadership through the ERM
Sustainability Institute• Through our work advocate in respect of human rights andpositive social impact

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY• Collate expanded scope of supply chain data
• Disclose in alignment with this strategy, and requirements
including Modern Slavery Acts in the UK, Canada, andAustralia• Undertake external audits and assurance of data24

Transparent & accessible reporting
We are committed to transparent and accessible reporting for our stakeholders.
This includes:• Annual disclosure of our sustainability performance in our Sustainability Report.
• Our progress in upholding the 10 principles of the UNGC and the Women’s
Empowerment Principles are reported annually via the Communication on Progress
which is published on the UNGC website.
• Our ‘Supporting the SDGs’ document provides a summary of ERM’s contribution to
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which includes Goal 8.7 on theeradication of all forms of modern slavery.
• Our annual ERM Modern Slavery Statement.

HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY25

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