Webinar: Rush to renewables: Towards migrant worker rights and a just energy transition in the Gulf

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and Equidem launch their report "Rush to renewables: Towards migrant worker rights and a just energy transition in the Gulf", which explores the rapid expansion of renewable energy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the urgent need to embed migrant worker rights in this transition.

The Gulf’s push for net-zero emissions and renewable energy, while crucial for addressing the climate crisis, is unfolding in a region notorious for widespread labour rights abuses. Based on extensive research and first-hand worker testimony, the report reveals abusive working conditions in solar and wind farms in the UAE, highlighting evidence of forced labor, recruitment fee exploitation, and systemic barriers to justice perpetuated by the Gulf’s notorious Kafala system. With time running out to meet 2030 climate goals, the renewable energy industry must prioritise human rights due diligence and safeguard the migrant workers powering this critical shift.

Recorded 10 December 2024