Sustainable manufacturing and our future
Background
Sustainable manufacturing is the process of creating products or services that minimize the environmental impact, conserve natural resources, and enhance social well-being. It is a key component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is a global plan to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all people.
Children rights include the right to life, health, education, protection, participation, and dignity. They are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. The CRC obliges States to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of every child, without discrimination.
How does this impact Children and our future?
Why are these two topics related? Because sustainable manufacturing can have a positive or negative impact on Children rights, depending on how it is done. For example:
- Sustainable manufacturing can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. Climate change affects children disproportionately, as they are more vulnerable to natural disasters, food insecurity, water scarcity, and diseases.
- Sustainable manufacturing can also create decent jobs and economic opportunities for adults, which can reduce poverty and improve living conditions for children. Poverty is one of the main causes of child labour, which deprives children of their rights to education, health, and protection.
- However, sustainable manufacturing can also pose risks to children rights if it does not comply with human rights standards and principles. For instance, some factories or production sites may use hazardous materials or processes that can harm the health and safety of workers and nearby communities, including children.
- Moreover, some businesses may exploit children as cheap or forced labour in their supply chains, violating their rights and dignity. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are 152 million children in child labour worldwide, and 73 million of them work in hazardous conditions.
Therefore, it is essential that businesses adopt a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach that respects and supports children rights in their operations and activities. CSR is the voluntary commitment of businesses to contribute to social and environmental goals beyond legal obligations.
Some of the ways that businesses can implement CSR and promote children rights are:
- Conducting human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for any adverse impacts on children rights that may result from their actions or decisions.
- Engaging with stakeholders, especially children and their representatives, to understand their needs, views, and expectations, and to address any grievances or complaints.
- Implementing effective age verification systems and protecting young workers (15-18 years old) from any form of exploitation or abuse.
- Supporting initiatives that aim to eliminate child labour from their supply chains and provide remediation to affected children and families.
- Investing in social development programs that benefit children and their communities, such as education, health care, nutrition, water and sanitation, etc.
By doing so, businesses can not only fulfill their human rights responsibilities but also gain competitive advantages such as improved reputation, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction, innovation potential, and risk management.
In conclusion, sustainable manufacturing and children rights are closely linked and mutually reinforcing. Businesses have a key role to play in advancing both agendas by adopting a CSR approach that respects and supports children rights in their operations and activities. This way, they can contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future for everyone.
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