Why and how investors should act on human rights

Last updated: 2020

This paper sets out how investors can ensure they respect human rights across all their investment activities, as defined by the UN and OECD.

Use this resource to:

  • Identify: Understand which actual and potential negative human rights outcomes investors are connected to through their investments.
  • Assess: Understand the extent to which investors are facilitating human rights harm; the extent to which they could or should have known; and the quality of any mitigating steps.

Social and Human Capital Protocol

Last updated: 2019

Guidance that outlines a process for organisations to follow so they can identify, measure and value their impacts and dependencies on social and human capital.

Use this resource to:

  • Set and revise objectives: Use the guidance on how to identify and engage with stakeholders in order to set objectives for a social and human capital based assessment.
  • Identify sustainability topics: Use the guidance to map the links between significant impacts and the business activities that affect or rely on them. This process helps the organisation determine whether each impacted stakeholder is likely to affect the business model (and therefore enterprise value).
  • Estimate value created: Use the guidance to value impacts and dependencies on social and human capital. This methodology draws on organisational data, data collected from stakeholders and publicly available country- or sector-level data.

Standard on applying Principle 4: Only Include What is Material

Last updated: 2018

Standard and guidance on how to apply the fourth of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

  • Identify sustainability topics: Use the guidance on how to determine which impacts must be included to support decision making that optimises value for all stakeholders. It includes two screens for materiality: firstly for outcomes that are relevant and secondly for the outcomes that are most significant.
  • Assess impact: Follow the guidance to determine whether an impact is significant to people or the environment, requiring management.

Standard on Applying Principle 3: Value the Things that Matter

Last updated: 2019

Standard and guidance on how to apply the third of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

  • Estimate value created: Use the guidance to value impacts from the perspective of affected stakeholders. This standard emphasises the importance of using data collected directly from stakeholders.

Principles of Social Value

Last updated: 2015

Principles that provide the basic building blocks for organisations that want to make decisions whilst taking social value into account. They are intended to help organisations optimise value for all stakeholders materially affected by an organisations activities. SVI is developing practice standards to help organisations implement each principle to a point where they are accountable for their activities and are making decisions to optimise value.

Use this resource to:

  • Governance, Strategy and Management Approach: Set up processes to include social value data in management decision-making.

Standard on Applying Principle 1: Engage Stakeholders

Last updated: 2019

Standard and guidance on how to apply the first of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

  • Set and revise objectives: Use the guidance on identifying stakeholders, engaging with them, and collecting information to help shape strategy and objectives.
  • Identify sustainability topics: Use the guidance on identifying stakeholders and engaging with them to understand actual and potential significant impacts.