Business, human rights and climate change: A lesson for secondary aged students.�

CLIMATE JUSTICE EDUCATION: LESSON 7

Business, human rights and climate change: A lesson for secondary aged students.�

This lesson was initially designed to accompany the Right Here Right Now summit at the University of Oxford, June 2025.

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All lessons in the Climate Justice Education educational resources pack are available at: https://climate.web.ox.ac.uk/globalclimatesummit

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Teacher notes are provided before the lesson and answers to questions/pedagogical suggestions are in the speaker notes.

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This lesson is meant to take 20-25 minutes at minimum but can be expanded with further discussion.

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Authors: Dr. Isobel Talks and Dr. Bill Finnegan  

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Teacher Notes

5 mins – Slide 1: Starter activity + register

3 mins – Slide 2: Concept introduction

3 mins – Slide 3: Researcher profile

3 mins – Slide 4: Business responsibility levels

5 mins – Slide 5: Matching activity

3 mins – Slide 6: Real example

3 mins – Slide 7: Justice dilemma

5 mins – Slide 8: Writing task

1 min – Slide 9: Quick recap can be done as you dismiss class

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Resources:

Mini whiteboard - or improvise an equivalent

Printed scenario cards

Timer

World map (optional)

BUSINESS, HUMAN RIGHTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Today we are going to explore how businesses can make climate action fair for everyone

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While you wait to start, think about this scenario: You want to buy a new phone that's "eco-friendly" and made with renewable energy. On your mini whiteboard, write down THREE questions you might ask the company to make sure it was made fairly.

Examples:

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Who made this phone?

Were the workers paid fairly?

Are children in school or working?

The Green Transition and Hidden Costs

The green transition means moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy like solar panels and wind turbines. This is essential for fighting climate change.

But there's a problem...

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The materials needed for green technology often come from:

• Mines in developing countries
• Supply chains spanning multiple continents
• Areas where workers' rights may not be protected

Key term:

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Supply chain - All the steps involved in making a product, from extracting raw materials to selling the final item

Meet the Researcher – Dr Samira Barzin

Dr. Samira Barzin at Oxford University uses satellite data and AI to �study how climate change affects people differently around the world.

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Her key discovery: The communities most affected by climate change �are often the same communities providing materials for our green technology solutions.

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Her method:

• Uses "space cameras" (satellites) to monitor mining areas
• Combines this with economic data about poverty and development
• Helps identify where human rights risks are highest

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Question for Discussion:

Why might satellite monitoring be useful for tracking workers' rights?

Level 1: Legal compliance

• Following the law in the country where they operate
• Problem: Laws vary greatly between countries

Level 2: Voluntary Standards

• Companies choose to follow international guidelines
• Problem: No enforcement if they do comply

Level 3: Mandatory Due Diligence

• Laws require companies to check their entire supply chain
• Companies must prove they're preventing human rights violations

The Three Types of Business Responsibility

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Just like climate litigation has waves, business responsibility for human rights has evolved through different approaches. Currently most countries are moving towards Level 3 requirements

Activity: Supply Chain Scenarios

Work in pairs. Match each scenario to the level of business responsibility it represents. Be ready to explain your reasoning.

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• Scenario A: A UK solar panel company only checks that their direct suppliers follow UK employment law, but doesn't investigate where the materials originally came from.

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• Scenario B: A German wind turbine manufacturer voluntarily publishes a report about their commitment to fair labor practices but provides no evidence or monitoring data.

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• Scenario C: A French battery company uses satellite monitoring and on-site inspections to verify that all cobalt in their supply chain comes from mines with safe working conditions and no child labour.

Answer: A = Level 1, B = Level 2, C = Level 3 

Discussion: Should countries slow down their green transition to ensure solar panels are made ethically?

Real example: Solar supply chains

The Challenge: Concerns have been raised about the use of forced labor in Chinese solar panel production facilities, particularly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, with China contributing 77.8% of global solar panel production.

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Government Responses:

• USA: Blocked over 1,000 shipments of solar components worth hundreds of millions of dollars
• UK: Initially removed legal protections against purchasing solar panels made with forced labor
• EU: Developing mandatory due diligence laws for all companies

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Choose ONE of these statements and write 4-5 sentences explaining your view:

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Option A: "Companies should be legally required to prove their entire supply chain is ethical, even if this slows down the green transition."

Option B: "We should transition to renewable energy as fast as possible and fix supply chain problems later - climate change is too urgent to wait."

Option C: "Governments should invest in helping low income countries improve working conditions so we can have both fast and fair green transition."

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Writing Task: Your Solution

This is important because ... One example of this is ... This could help by ...

Key Takeaways

What we've learned:

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• The green transition can create new forms of inequality if not managed carefully
• Businesses have different levels of responsibility for their supply chains
• Satellite technology and data science can help monitor workers' rights globally
• There are no easy answers - we need both climate action AND human rights protection

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