More than 200 global investors representing $5.8tr in assets under management have sent a statement to 106 companies that have scored zero on all the human rights due diligence indicators in the 2020 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB) report demanding action.

Investors including Aberdeen Standard, AP Pension, Aviva, Hermes, Nordea, NN and Rebeco have put their names to the statement that was organised by the Investor Alliance for Human Rights. The investors highlight that nearly half of the 230 largest publicly traded companies in high-risk sectors measured against five human rights due diligence indicators scored zero on all five indicators.

Sectors included in the benchmark are agricultural products, apparel, extractives, ICT manufacturing and, for the first time, automotive manufacturing. Two thirds of automotive companies scored zero on all the human rights due diligence measures making it the worst performing sector in the CHRB.

“Only a minority of companies demonstrate the willingness and commitment to take human rights seriously,” said Camille Le Pors of the CHRB. “If we are to achieve the SDGs by 2030, we need all companies to participate in this effort and to place people and planet above the pursuit of profit at all cost.”

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