Top Stories

October 23, 2018

Climate Change

‘Insurance gap’ threatens disaster-vulnerable nations, warns Lloyd’s

Disaster-prone developing nations, including Bangladesh and Indonesia, are exposed to crippling losses when storms, floods or earthquakes strike because they suffer from a dangerous lack of insurance, industry experts said 22nd October. Globally, assets worth about $163 billion are not insured against catastrophes, posing a “significant threat” to livelihoods and prosperity, London-based insurance market Lloyd’s said in a report. Many countries with the lowest levels of insurance are also among those most exposed to risks, including from climate change impacts, and are least able to fund disaster recovery efforts, it noted. After a disaster, uninsured losses usually have to be paid from government funds – a problem for poorer countries that cannot afford to rebuild. Last year was one of the costliest for natural catastrophes in the past decade – and expected economic losses from such disasters now total $165 billion annually, Lloyd’s said. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

US-China trade war spills into Green Climate Fund

The first Chinese bid for finance from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) was deferred after the US board member blocked it. In a sign of US-China tensions spilling into the climate finance arena, Mathew Haarsager, a special assistant to the US president, vetoed a $100 million loan for green development in Shandong province. Haarsager raised concerns about the accountability of sub-projects and potential use of funds for research and development of commercial products. Its defenders said it was exactly the kind of “transformational” initiative the GCF should support. By mobilising investments in clean energy, urban transport and other climate projects, the programme is predicted to save 50-75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to business-as-usual. Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, a Congolese board member representing African countries, said US opposition was motivated by trade tensions between the superpowers. (Climate Home News)

Employees

Miscarrying at work: the physical toll of pregnancy discrimination

Women in strenuous jobs lost their pregnancies after employers denied their requests for light duty, even ignoring doctors’ notes, an investigation by The New York Times has found. The New York Times reviewed thousands of pages of court and other public records involving workers who said they had suffered miscarriages, gone into premature labour or, in one case, had a stillborn baby after their employers rejected their pleas for assistance. These are women working in warehouses, at a hospital, a post office, an airport, a grocery store, a prison, a restaurant, and several hotels. Under federal law, companies don’t necessarily have to adjust pregnant women’s jobs, even when lighter work is available and their doctors send letters urging a reprieve. A spokesman for Verizon, where such instances allegedly occurred, said, “we are deeply troubled by these allegations. We have no tolerance — zero tolerance — for this sort of alleged behaviour.” (New York Times)*

Human Rights

Home Office tells business: open up on modern slavery or face further action

The UK government department responsible for immigration, security, law and order, is writing directly to chief executives of 17,000 businesses telling them to open up about modern slavery in their supply chains, or risk being named as in breach of the law. Businesses with a turnover of more than £36 million must publish annual transparency statements, known as a Modern Slavery Statement, setting out what they are doing to stop modern slavery and forced labour practices occurring in their business and supply chains. Currently, it is estimated that 60 percent of companies in scope have published a statement. Some of these statements are poor in quality or fail to even meet the basic legal requirements. “The Home Office is sending letters to businesses today with a clear message that continued non-compliance will not be tolerated,” Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Victoria Atkins said. (GOVUK)

ACCA urges governments and businesses to support communities in enforcing judicial decisions

The African Coalition  for Corporate Accountability  (ACCA) has issued a statement calling on governments  and  businesses  operating  in  Africa  to  respect  and  implement  the rulings of the courts in favour of communities’ rights. The ACCA, the largest  coalition  of  civil  society  organisations  (CSOs)  working  on  issues  related  to business  and  human  rights  and  corporate  accountability  across  the  African  continent, issued the statement following its 4th General Assembly (GA) under the theme Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Nairobi, Kenya. “The ACCA  views  the  advancement  of  FPIC  across  the  African  continent  as  a  vital  element  in strengthening community rights and community participation in development projects, which directly impact communities’ daily lives and livelihoods,” and “calls on CSOs and other relevant actors to support communities in enforcing judicial decisions,” it said. (Business & Human Rights)

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