"We consider the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in all our activities."
Márcia Balisciano, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX (2023)
Scientists who began a dialogue with RELX about its facilitation of fossil fuel expansion announced a human rights grievance mechanism, which can include anyone wishing to address the company's negative impacts. Learn more and decide if you or your organization care to be involved.
Scientists who began a dialogue with RELX about its facilitation of new fossil fuel projects announced a human rights grievance mechanism, which can include anyone wishing to address the company's negative impacts. Learn more and decide if you or your organization care to be involved.
NOTICE
Due to the negative impacts resulting from legal threats issued by the company after the announcement and the launching of this UN Guiding Principles on Business and Humans Rights grievance mechanism, I no longer feel that I can continue spearheading this process. One such communication included the claim that RELX has responded to the Climate Rights Coalition in the form of an email to an Advisory Board member from a company employee. The employee's message generates no substantive answers to the questions and requests that were submitted to the RELX Board in 2024. A scientist petition was produced in 2024, requesting the UK OECD National Contact Point engage with RELX about its human rights impacts; it will be up to others to bring this forward or carry on this process. The Climate Rights Coalition will find other ways to address the growing dangers of fossil fuel expansion.
—Director, Climate Rights Coalition (January 2026)
LATEST UPDATES
August 2024: A lawsuit was filed in a US Federal Court observing that RELX has made "numerous business decisions that contradict their climate pledges in materials filed to the SEC and disclosed to investors, marketing materials, and commitments to international organizations." The filing states that RELX's “greenwashing practices are materially misleading to consumers, investors, and impose severe public harm.”
February 2024: Statements and questions were sent to RELX, along with a complaint that was also submitted to the UN. In May 2024, RELX's CEO and RELX Corporate Responsibility were asked when the company will respond. A reply, from another employee, failed indicate RELX's intent to end actions raised by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Scientists for Global Responsibility, Climate Rights Coaltion, and others.
RELX has insufficiently considered the human rights impacts of accelerating fossil fuel discoveries for years. In 2021, employees pointed to the company’s neglect of its obligations, just as scientist groups did in 2022—and as the UN has done with other companies still facilitating fossil fuel expansion, pointing to "significantly worsened climate change-related human rights impacts." With company products and messaging continuing to serve the disasterous business aims of fossil fuel and petrochemical majors, this grievance mechanism can involve anyone seeking to generate dialogue, mitigation, and access to remedy.
This initiative does not intend to disparage individuals fulfilling roles that have been defined by RELX, but rather to advocate for the removal of any constraints that may dissuade them from acting in defense of vulnerable populations.
The company is neglecting its human rights obligations by facilitating new fossil fuel projects around the world.
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The UNGP grievance mechanism is open to all stakeholders concerned about the company's business activity.
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Concerns have been raised by scientists, organizations, and the company's employees and customers.
Learn more"We consider the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in all our activities."
"If this were the case, Elsevier would be 'discontinuing activities with potentially adverse climate change-related human rights impacts'…We are concerned that RELX/Elsevier is not living up to its ethical commitments.”
"We have to keep fossil fuels in the ground…life on Earth really does depend on how fast we can do this…There’s no more room [in the carbon budget] for fossil fuel expansion.”
“We may disagree because the world still needs fossil fuels...We do provide data and analytics and information” for customers still engaged in fossil fuel expansion.
