Sustainability Language

Human Rights & Social Sustainability

Affected communities

Affected communities are groups of people whose rights, wellbeing, livelihoods, environment or cultural heritage may be changed by an organisation's operations or value chain.

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Definition

Affected communities are people living or acting collectively in places or social contexts where an organisation's operations, products, services or value-chain relationships cause or may cause positive or negative effects on rights, wellbeing, livelihoods, environment or cultural heritage.

Overview

What it means in practice

The group may include nearby residents, Indigenous Peoples, land users, workers' families or communities affected through sourcing and waste. Identification should follow pathways of impact rather than administrative distance alone.

Why it matters

People who experience an impact may have less power than investors, customers or authorities. Recognising affected communities helps bring their evidence, rights and access to remedy into decision-making.

Common misconception

A community is not affected merely because it appears on a stakeholder list, and a consultation meeting does not prove meaningful engagement. The impact relationship and quality of participation should be demonstrated.

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