Human rights
Respect for human rights is the common thread that guides our activities, and is fully integrated into our purpose and corporate values, as we are part of the community and a relevant component in the lives of people, companies and society as a whole.
We require adherence to the same principles from contractors, suppliers, and business and financial partners. Promoting respect for human rights is fundamental in pursuing sustainable progress.
We have embraced both the UN's "Protect, Respect and Remedy" approach in its Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD's Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Since 2013, Enel's Board of Directors has adopted a Policy dedicated to the issue of human rights, and it was updated in 2021. It reinforces and deepens the commitments already enshrined in the Code of Ethics, the Zero Tolerance to Corruption Plan, and the Models for the Prevention of Risks Related to Corporate Criminal Liability.
The Policy identifies 12 principles with respect to two macro-themes: labor practices and community and societal relations, drawing attention to how environmental degradation and climate change are interconnected with human rights, as the implementation of measures to mitigate their effects cannot occur without taking into account their social impact.
We have also developed a Global Framework Agreement with the sector’s Global Trade Union Federations. It recognizes the centrality and universality of human, social and labor rights in our company and it enshrines social dialogue as the preferred means of accommodating mutual interests.
We have developed due diligence processes along the entire value chain in the different countries where we operate. These processes consist of four stages:
- assessment of the risk perceived by key Stakeholders, at the individual country level, with reference to labor, local community and environmental rights;
- gap analysis aimed at identifying and analyzing the organizational and control systems that guard against risks;
- development of action plans in order to cover any areas for improvement that emerged in the previous phase;
- monitoring of action plans and remedies.
In each country where we operate, specific improvement plans are defined with actions aimed at covering 100% of operational processes and sites.
Furthermore, all of our Stakeholders, whether internal or external, can report any violation or suspected violation of our human rights policy using the provided channels outlined in the policy.
Find out more in the chapter on "Human Rights Management" in the 2023 Sustainability Report