This study is the first to investigate the potential role of big data technologies in the HREDD process. While big data technologies are already widely used by businesses in order to increase their economic efficiency, these efficiencies could potentially be transferred to the HREDD process. In particular, big data technologies could help businesses navigate the scale and complexity of contemporary supply chains as well as the challenges associated with analysing a wide range of potential adverse impacts. Moreover, from the point of view of regulators and civil society organisations, big data technologies could facilitate monitoring the compliance with HREDD obligations of a large number of corporations. The aim of this study was thus to map the current usages of big data technologies in the HREDD process, as well as to discuss potential challenges that might arise in this context. The study shows that there are various steps of the HREDD process in which big data technologies are already used or could be of use. First, we have concluded that big data technologies can play a role in enabling corporation to map much more precisely their extensive and complex upstream and downstream supply chains. Second, our research shows that big data technologies can play a role at the stage of detecting and assessing human rights and environmental risks or adverse impacts linked to global supply chains. In both of these examples the main added value provided is in the ability of big data technologies to navigate the size and complexity of modern supply chains and to process vast amounts of data in real time covering a wide range of risks. The third potential use explored in the study concerns the potential of big data technologies to prove beneficial in sup porting the monitoring of business compliance with HREDD obligations. More specifically, these technologies could offer advantages in scrutinizing extensive corporate due diligence reports that contain large amounts of qualitative (textual and visual) data. Nevertheless, the study also identified a number of potential risks and challenges connected to the reliance on big data technologies in the framework of the HREDD process. More specifically, the study outlined challenges related to the effectiveness of these technologies, to their relationship with specific requirements of the HREDD process, such as transparency and stakeholders’ engagement, as well as to the human rights and environmental risks linked to their use and the potential conflicts of interests of the companies developing these technologies.

The Potential of Big Data Technologies for the Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Process

Resource Key: ABCPDCAV

Document Type: Report

Creator:

Author:

  • Antoine Duval
  • Virginie Rouas
  • Max Ebdon

Creators Name: {mb_resource_zotero_creatorsname}

Place: Bonn and Eschborn, Germany

Institution: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Date: 2023

Language: en

This study is the first to investigate the potential role of big data technologies in the HREDD process. While big data technologies are already widely used by businesses in order to increase their economic efficiency, these efficiencies could potentially be transferred to the HREDD process. In particular, big data technologies could help businesses navigate the scale and complexity of contemporary supply chains as well as the challenges associated with analysing a wide range of potential adverse impacts. Moreover, from the point of view of regulators and civil society organisations, big data technologies could facilitate monitoring the compliance with HREDD obligations of a large number of corporations. The aim of this study was thus to map the current usages of big data technologies in the HREDD process, as well as to discuss potential challenges that might arise in this context. The study shows that there are various steps of the HREDD process in which big data technologies are already used or could be of use. First, we have concluded that big data technologies can play a role in enabling corporation to map much more precisely their extensive and complex upstream and downstream supply chains. Second, our research shows that big data technologies can play a role at the stage of detecting and assessing human rights and environmental risks or adverse impacts linked to global supply chains. In both of these examples the main added value provided is in the ability of big data technologies to navigate the size and complexity of modern supply chains and to process vast amounts of data in real time covering a wide range of risks. The third potential use explored in the study concerns the potential of big data technologies to prove beneficial in sup porting the monitoring of business compliance with HREDD obligations. More specifically, these technologies could offer advantages in scrutinizing extensive corporate due diligence reports that contain large amounts of qualitative (textual and visual) data. Nevertheless, the study also identified a number of potential risks and challenges connected to the reliance on big data technologies in the framework of the HREDD process. More specifically, the study outlined challenges related to the effectiveness of these technologies, to their relationship with specific requirements of the HREDD process, such as transparency and stakeholders’ engagement, as well as to the human rights and environmental risks linked to their use and the potential conflicts of interests of the companies developing these technologies.

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