Business and Human Rights Centre

We’ve investigated how US companies are responding to escalating pressures on human rights and sustainability – and the results are concerning.

Some US companies – including those who have been longstanding leaders on human rights – are cutting staff and programs, losing critical expertise and putting their capacity to implement public human rights commitments at risk.

Alongside this, Big Oil and Big Tech are using the moment to aggressively pursue deregulation on both sides of the Atlantic. At stake is a quarter century of hard-won progress on human rights – now under threat at precisely the moment risks are intensifying.

But there is cause for hope: companies holding the line show that the business and human rights agenda can both withstand current pressures and remains necessary to address the crises we collectively face.

Explore our full findings here ➡️ https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/briefings/us-analysis-2026/retreat-or-respect/?utm_source=facebook_bhrrc&utm_medium=facebook_bhrrc&utm_campaign=2606usanalysis&utm_content=social

In 2025 the world reached a dangerous turning point, with people across the globe mobilising to address accelerating climate breakdown, expanding armed conflict, democratic backsliding and the consolidation of corporate power.

In every region of the world people spoke out about business-related risks and harms, experiencing judicial harassment, physical violence, threats, and intimidation in retaliation for doing so.

These attacks point to a story about global power: who holds it, how it is exercised and what happens when people challenge it.

And they are not a series of isolated incidents – they are part of a global pattern of retaliation against people exercising their freedom of expression and advocating for rights-respecting economies and a healthy planet.

Respecting the rights of defenders is not only a human rights imperative, but essential to responsible business, effective due diligence, and long-term social and economic stability.

Explore the data here ▶️ https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/briefings/hrds-2026/navigating-a-global-crossroads-human-rights-defenders-and-business-in-2025/?utm_source=facebook_bhrrc&utm_medium=facebook_bhrrc&utm_campaign=2606HRDs&utm_content=social

Who pays for fashion’s green transition? In Bangladesh, over four million garment workers are already facing the realities of climate breakdown – such as extreme heat and flooding resulting in lost income and unsafe working conditions.

And despite ambitious climate commitments, brands are doing little to protect them.

Our new research surveys 15 of the top international brands sourcing from Bangladesh – including ASDA, GAP, H&M, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Tesco and Walmart – to understand whether they are committing resources and support to help suppliers meet their new climate targets while ensuring decent work.

Our findings reveal a stark gap between ambitious targets and the financial and practical support needed for their achievement. None of the responding brands confirmed paying a price premium for garments produced in green certified factories or by suppliers meeting emissions targets, raising critical questions about how the cost of decarbonisation is being distributed across supply chains and whether workers are bearing the brunt.

We are calling for a just transition that works for workers: fair purchasing practices, direct support for suppliers, wage protection during climate shocks, and meaningful social dialogue with workers and trade unions.

Read more ➡️ https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/the-cost-of-transition-bangladeshs-suppliers-and-workers-in-fashions-green-rush/

📢 Register now for the virtual launch of our new global analysis, which reveals that in 2025 there were nearly 800 attacks against defenders in 80 countries raising concerns about business-related harms.

Our expert panel will discuss:

➡️ Our key findings about the scope and scale of attacks on defenders, including the most dangerous countries, sectors, and companies
➡️ Our analysis of worsening trends, such as the impact of technology on civic space and increasing business influence on geopolitics
➡️ Example case studies spotlighting civil society resistance and resilience

Full panel to be announced shortly.

🔗 Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_furvAdOjSe6Tn6SQ_HIJWQ #/registration

📸 Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)