8 000 000 000. On November 15, 2022, according to the United Nations, the world population reached eight billion people. Although the growth rate is slowing, the UN projects that by 2050 there will be 9.7 billion on the planet.

On the 1 August 2024 it’s Earth Overshoot Day – the day that we have used all the natural resources produced by our planet in one year. This means that we use as many ecological resources as if we lived on 1.71 earths. The results include water stress, desertification, soil erosion and damage to biodiversity in addition to a host of other negative impacts.

In May, the European Council adopted the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. This will require firms to identify, assess, prevent, mitigate and provide remedies for their adverse impact on human rights and the environment. This is both relevant for the firm’s operations and chain of activities. While this is a step in the right direction, not all companies will fall within its remit. At DPAM we believe each company should take action to make sure they are not contributing to human rights infringements which tend to be more widespread in conflict areas.