What does it actually mean for a company to respect human rights, and how can the new B Corp standards help companies focus on the places where their risk of harm is greatest?
Social impact specialist Bernard Gouw returns to Beyond the B to unpack the Human Rights topic in the new B Corp standards. Bernard spent four and a half years at B Lab helping develop the Human Rights, Fair Work, and JEDI impact topics, and recently left B Lab to work more hands-on with companies as an independent consultant.
Ryan and Bernard explore why human rights became a central part of the new standards, how the standards connect to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and why human rights due diligence is less about abstract ideals and more about helping companies identify, prioritize, and address their most significant risks to people.
Throughout the conversation, Bernard breaks down the four major human rights themes in the new standards: committing publicly to respect human rights, identifying salient human rights issues, preventing and mitigating negative impacts, and working with suppliers. They also discuss how these requirements apply differently to small service companies, product companies, companies with global supply chains, social media platforms, and firms with organizational clients.
The conversation also covers the difference between Human Rights, Fair Work, and JEDI; why policy alone is not enough; how companies can use stakeholder engagement without overcomplicating the process; why social audits and eco-social certifications should be treated critically; and what did not make it into the final standards. Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of human rights due diligence and how B Corps can approach the Human Rights requirements with more confidence, sincerity, and practical focus.
What You’ll Learn:
- Learn why human rights were included as a core topic in the new B Corp standards.
- Understand how the Human Rights topic is grounded in human rights due diligence and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- Explore the four major human rights themes that apply across the new standards.
- Recognize the difference between preventing, mitigating, and remediating negative human rights impacts.
- See how small service companies can think about human rights through client screening, procurement, and everyday business decisions.
- Understand why companies should be thoughtful, critical, and honest when relying on social audits, certifications, and supplier assurance schemes.
“All companies are responsible for respecting human rights.” — Bernard Gouw
“The human rights impact topic is all about human rights due diligence.” — Bernard Gouw
“A lot about respecting human rights and human rights due diligence is about efficiency and focusing on the areas that matter most.” — Bernard Gouw
“We are not saying companies need full visibility or full traceability. What we are saying, though, is they need to work with their suppliers on these areas.” — Bernard Gouw
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
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Bernard Gouw – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardgouw/
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New Standards: Fair Work (w/ Bernard Gouw): https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/new-standards-unpacking-fair-work-w-bernard-gouw
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B Lab Standards: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/standards/
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UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: https://www.ohchr.org/documents/publications/guidingprinciplesbusinesshr_en.pdf
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Tony’s Open Chain: https://www.tonysopenchain.com/
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Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad… and How Great Companies Stay Great by Eric Ries: https://www.amazon.com/Incorruptible-Good-Companies-Great-Stay/dp/B0FWZZBPZB
We want to hear from you! Email us at beyond@lifteconomy.com with requests for content, suggestions for future guests, and feedback about our episodes.
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Gratitude
Thank you to Corey Lien, Nozomii Torii, and Kirsten G. Bryant for being our monthly contributors at Beyond the B!
