Ergon, an LRQA company

In 2024, Ergon was acquired by LRQA, a move that represents a significant step forward for both organisations. It means that, after 20 years as a small specialist consultancy, we have joined forces with a leader in ESG advisory, assessment, inspection and cybersecurity services, to create a stronger, more diverse team.

We are in the process of integrating our operations and systems, creating a new partnership that will benefit our work by harmonising internal processes, leveraging expertise and ultimately increasing the impact and purpose of our work

As 2025 commences, we know that our clients will continue to face significant challenges and scrutiny across all our areas of work, and we fully expect the new partnership to enhance our technical and advisory capabilities.

Our reflections and predictions

So as the new year commences, we wanted to briefly reflect on our work in 2024 across different client groups, as well as explore the challenges and solutions that we see emerging in 2025.

Corporate clients

The 2024 adoption of the CSDDD by the EU marked a significant milestone for our work with corporate clients. And much of our work in 2024 focused on helping clients prepare for the forthcoming changes, with a strong emphasis on impact and transformation. We have seen an increase in demand for our best-in-class human rights risk and saliency assessments across various sectors, aligning with parallel processes (such as double materiality assessments), and supporting clients prioritise relevant and achievable action. At a headquarters level, we have supported HRDD activities by reviewing policies and procedures, designing bespoke tools and methodologies to build internal capacity, and engaging business functions and senior leaders – all with the intention of strengthening practices and building capacity. Ergon experts also completed nine in-depth human rights impact assessments, particularly in agricultural supply chains, involving extensive stakeholder and rightsholder engagement.

In 2025, alongside our LRQA colleagues, and the extended tools, resources and capacity we now have, we will continue to assist companies in advancing effective human rights due diligence. This includes developing approaches that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, but also means taking a broader view, for example looking at the intersections of human rights with technology and the environment. We will also focus on helping our clients tackle potentially more challenging issues, such as the (access to) remedy, rightsholder engagement, responsible purchasing practices, and strategic alignment to help our clients drive better ESG performance and outcomes for people and planet.

International organisations

2024 saw our longstanding partnerships with a range of international organisations flourish – including the International Labour Organisation, the UN Global Compact, and the International Olympic Committee. We have always tried to distil our experience into practical tools, based on credible field research, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and innovations in access to remedy.

For example, the past year saw us working with a new partner, UNEP-FI, to develop a fully revised and expanded human rights toolkit for lenders and investors, with the support of the EIB. The toolkit will be launched via webinar on January 28^th (registration here). Our specialist expertise on living wages was the focus for facilitation work with GIZ Textilbündnis and the development of country industrial relations profiles for the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH).

Looking to 2025, we anticipate that many of our key workstreams will inform – and be informed by – the discussions at the Second World Summit for Social Development 2025, to take place in November 2025, recognising that sustainability, human rights, and governance are deeply interconnected and critical to efforts to address poverty, inequality, decent work, and social inclusion. We look forward to drawing on the broader insights, tools and technologies that the LRQA family has to offer, to provide better support and advice on the human dimensions of Just Transition and the circular economy, sustainable agri-food systems, digitalisation and digital rights, and safeguarding of vulnerable rightsholders.

Development finance institutions (DFIs) and international finance institutions (IFIs)

We continued to support our DFI and IFI clients on a range of strategic and transaction specific issues throughout 2024. Our advice has encompassed a range of themes, including enhancing supply chain due diligence and engaging with investees on difficult labour and human rights topics such as platform work and retrenchment. We have also supported our client’s gender mainstreaming efforts, including through advisory and training on gender-based violence and harassment, as well as primary research on increasing women’s economic participation in male dominated sectors such as renewable energy, circular economy, and transport. Through longstanding arrangements with clients, including two new framework agreements in 2024, we have continued to provide timely advice, capacity building, and guidance to our DFI and IFI clients.

This year, several of our DFI clients will be looking to implement updated and revised environmental and social policy commitments. We therefore anticipate providing advice on policy implementation, including building robust approaches to risk identification, portfolio management, and investee engagement. There will also be continued work and progress on emerging themes, including risks and opportunities associated with digital investments, the labour and human rights implications of Just Transition, and continued work on grievance and remedy.

Other news

Ergon’s team continues to grow, with a round of recruitment currently ongoing, and we also welcomed two new researchers into the Ergon team in the final months of 2024.

Frances Burnley joined us in September. She has a legal background and experience working with unions, on labour standards, and on GBVH risks.

Eden Winkels joined Ergon in October. She has a background in business and human rights consulting, with a particular focus on the mining sector.

Both Frances and Eden will play key roles in supporting our work with corporate clients, international organisations and development finance institutions. Welcome Frances and Eden!

About Ergon

Ergon, an LRQA company, is a London-headquartered consultancy, with offices in Berlin and Haarlem that has been working with a broad range of clients for almost 20 years on topics of human rights, labour standards and gender. Our clients include major international companies, development finance institutions, international organisations and multi-stakeholder platforms.

We would be delighted to hear from you to discuss how we can support your organisation in the year ahead.