Businesses making land-based investments recognize the need to identify and manage their social and environmental impacts, or risk significant financial and reputational consequences. From project delays to total shutdown, the costs of failing to prevent or mitigate negative impacts are well documented. At the same time, communities often lack the legal and technical resources needed to engage with companies on equal footing. Many are unfamiliar with corporate language, timelines, and priorities, leading to missed opportunities for meaningful engagement. As a result, businesses struggle to obtain critical information that could help them prevent or address social and environmental harm, perpetuating violations, conflicts, and project delays.

With corporate human rights standards fast becoming embedded into law and policy, companies now face the risk of civil liability for failing to undertake adequate human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD). In response to this growing challenge, Namati, Just Ground, Rights CoLab and the Grassroots Justice Network have conducted research on the barriers businesses and communities face when engaging over  land-based investments. This brief presents a compelling case for establishing a pooled fund as a mechanism for market actors – business and public and private finance – to provide legal and technical support to communities while maintaining the independence of grassroots support providers. 

The brief establishes the case that advocates can use to promote the fund and support progress across various sectors and stakeholders.

Read the brief here.

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