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2018 UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers revealed

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Index recognises individuals from all business sectors, media and academia who are influence leaders in raising awareness to end modern slavery and labour exploitation  

The 2018 UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers were revealed on 17 May by Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE at Marshalls Design Space, London. The unranked Top100 from business, the media and academia includes Livia Firth, Lucy Siegle, Justine Currell, Kevin Bales, Nick Grono and Paul Gerrard. The Top100 influencers can be viewed at www.MSA4Constrution.com/Top100Index

The inaugural 2018 UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index, created and curated by BRE and Sustain Worldwide, has been conceived to simultaneously raise awareness of modern slavery and labour exploitation while recognising the individuals who are the influence leaders in supporting its eradication. Anti-trafficking charity Hope for Justice is the official charitable partner.

The Index is based on the combination of influence on social media, as measured by Klout scores, and advocacy – policy input, speaking and media engagement – in public life, which is evaluated by desktop research and then aggregated via a proprietary algorithm. A panel that is independent of business verifies the Index’s transparency, robustness and independence.

In 2017, a total of 5,145 potential victims were referred to Britain’s National Referral Mechanism, a 35 per cent increase on the previous year. The UK Government has estimated there are between 10,000-13,000 people held in modern slavery in Britain today. The Global Slavery Index has estimated there are 45.8million people across 167 countries in modern day slavery.

Dr Shamir Ghumra, BREEAM Director at BRE, says: “Criminal gangs are at the heart of modern slavery, using people as commodities for their profits and consigning millions to enslavement. The ILO estimates modern slavery is a $150billion worldwide industry. Often unwittingly, due to a lack of awareness of who is working in their global supply chains, most organisations and companies in the UK are at risk of having modern slavery in their business.

“The 2018 Annual UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index is one weapon in the armoury to raise awareness to end modern slavery and labour exploitation. I commend those who have been recognised as the UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers, and I look forward to the announcement of the rankings, from 1 to 100, at the recognition dinner on 26 September 2018.”

The Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE will host the recognition dinner at which one person will be recognised as the 2018 Annual UK Top1 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencer. Each of the Top5 recognised will be invited to give a short speech detailing their influence to date and setting out what they will do next to expose and eradicate modern slavery and labour exploitation in UK direct business operations and global supply chains.

Baroness Young said: “I’m delighted to be the host of the 2018 UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index Recognition Dinner. Modern Slavery has no place in our public institutions and civil society, and I support this cross-sector initiative that shines a light on the issue by recognising the individuals who are positively influencing the debate to bring about its eradication.”

The inaugural 2018 Annual UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index was launched on 1 March 2018. The unranked Top100 Influencers were revealed on 17 May 2018. The Top100 Influencers by ranking, from 1 to 100, will be announced at a recognition dinner at RIBA, Central London on 26 September 2018. www.msa4construction.com/Top100Index #Top100Index

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Notes to editors
The 2018 Annual UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index is based on influence on social media and advocacy in public life. A panel that is independent of business verifies the Index’s transparency, robustness and independence. There was no requirement to ‘enter’ or be nominated for the Index. However, those who are the most active and influential on the issues will have a greater possibility of being recognised on the 2018 Annual UK Top100 Corporate Modern Slavery Influencers’ Index and will feature highest in the rankings.

The Index is complemented by the third annual Modern Slavery and Ethical Labour in Construction Leadership Symposium: ‘Eradicating Modern Slavery: How Good Governance Demonstrates Leadership and Mitigates Risk’. The Symposium, to be held at RIBA, central London, on 27 September, draws together the corporate leaders, professional institutions and membership associations, and pubic and third sector advocates who are driving the agenda to end modern slavery and labour exploitation in the UK and global supply chains. www.MSA4Construction.com #MSA4Construction2018

BRE is an international, multi-disciplinary, building science organisation with a mission to improve buildings and infrastructure through research and knowledge generation and their application. We are owned by a charity called the BRE Trust, which delivers one of the largest programmes of built environment education and research for the public good. BRE develops solutions and standards to meet industry challenges, including the Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard (ELS) BES 6002 www.bregroup.com

The Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE is a champion of human rights. She has introduced a Bill before Parliament that proposes public authorities are included in requirements under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (transparency in supply chains). Presently, the private sector alone is required to comply with TISC. She has a particular interest in modern slavery issues in the fashion and football sectors.

Sustain Worldwide is a communications business that works with clients and partners to tell their stories through the most effective media – Press/PR, social media and stakeholder events – to reach the target audiences. It has a particular interest, knowledge and expertise in responsible and ethical sourcing in global supply chains and their inter-relationship with human rights, modern slavery and labour exploitation issues.