Over the last two decades, I’ve witnessed strides in environmental sustainability across the building and construction sector. A lot of emphasis on reducing carbon, addressing circular economy, biodiversity - we're seeing a real shift.

But let’s be honest: when it comes to the ‘S’ in ESG—Social—it’s still the poor cousin.

We’ve come a long way in terms of sustainability—now it’s time to put people front and centre.

Yes, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 came into force in 2019. Yes, it raised awareness.

But has it driven meaningful change? For too many, the answer is still no.

And we can’t fix what we’re not willing to face.

In this article we’ll explore how you can do a better job of tackling modern slavery and labour exploitation in your supply chain.

The uncomfortable truth? Modern slavery exists in our supply chains.

And it’s not because we’re doing nothing.

Everywhere I look, companies are trying—identifying risks, signing Codes of Conduct, filling out Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaires, and developing Modern Slavery Statements.

But good intentions don’t always lead to meaningful outcomes.

I know this because I’ve spent over 17 years working with product manufacturers and retailers in the fit-out and construction sector.

I’ve seen where progress stalls, where gaps remain, and where action should be—but isn’t.

We need to move beyond compliance.

Tackling modern slavery in your supply chain is not just a box to tick—it’s a responsibility to act.

That means actively looking for modern slavery and labour exploitation, not passively hoping we don’t find any. Because make no mistake—it’s there.

Over the past decade, manufacturers and retailers have been overwhelmed with requests from architects, designers, governments, and builders to prove they’re addressing modern slavery. They’re asked to sign up, show up, and self-assess.

But too often, follow-through is lacking.

Commitments fade. Priorities shift. And workers—real people—remain invisible, unheard, and unprotected.

As an industry, we need small and medium businesses to take action.

Change won’t happen without them.

But they need to be empowered.

They need to be equipped with the tools and resources to act – many of which already exist – and more importantly, they need incentive to drive meaningful action.

This will come through procurement specifications that prioritise ethical practices, and by evaluating and selecting suppliers based on their commitment to understanding and addressing modern slavery and labour exploitation risks within their supply chains.

Evaluation and incentivisation are critical to shifting industry practice and embedding lasting change.

What can you do right now? Start with Meaningful Action.

It’s time for all of us—suppliers, specifiers, designers, architects, builders, procurement teams, executives, boards, building rating tools, Ecolabelling bodies and certifiers—to step up and take the challenge.

We need to dig deeper. Get uncomfortable. Be honest.

Most importantly, we need to act.

And we can do that by using the 5 Principles of Meaningful Action.

The 5 Principles of Meaningful Action to End Modern Slavery

1. Connection

Connection is about recognising that every procurement decision connects us to workers around the world.

It’s the first step in being able to take meaningful action, and it involves:

Connecting on a heart level—this is about people’s lives.
Reflecting on how your decisions (tight budgets, deadlines, lowest-cost options) might contribute to exploitation.
Engaging with workers, NGOs, unions, and industry experts.
Educating your team—not just on policy, but on purpose.
Building real relationships with your suppliers—let them know this matters.

2. Curiosity

Curiosity is the pathway to actual change. Question everything. Demand better answers. Keep learning.

If you’re ready to get curious, you should:

Learn where modern slavery and labour exploitation occur—understand the risks in products, sectors, materials, and regions.
Reflect on your own business practices—how might you be linked to harm?
Challenge simple yes or no answers. Ask suppliers how they ensure safe and fair working conditions—not just whether or not they do.
Ask your suppliers: “Have you found modern slavery in your supply chains?”
If they say no, ask: “What meaningful actions are you taking to understand risk?”
No findings may indicate the need for a deeper, more rigorous approach.
Look for more than policies—ask for evidence.
Understand what to do when you do find modern slavery.
Keep asking: what does real commitment look like?

3. Commitment

Commitment to taking action is about moving from awareness to impact. And then making a choice, on a regular basis, to stay the course.

Commitment looks like:

Developing a long-term strategy grounded in the 5 Principles of meaningful action.
Prioritising robust due diligence aligned with the UN Guiding Principles.
Measuring real impact—not just how many people were trained, but what’s changed.
Providing meaningful feedback to suppliers. Following up. Tracking progress.
Keep going—even when it gets complex or uncomfortable.

4. Courage

This type of global change takes courage. You will have to face discomfort. Speak the truth, (even when its hard). Lead with heart.

Courage in taking action shows up as:

Questioning the status quo. Are we really making an impact?
Confronting inconsistencies—do all departments align on this?
Advocating for more resources if you’re in sustainability or procurement roles.
Finding the courage to have uncomfortable and sometimes confronting conversations with suppliers
Being brave enough to say: Yes, we’ve found exploitation. And here’s what we’re doing about it.
Taking decisive action when harm is uncovered. That’s leadership.

5. Collaboration

While everything you do has an impact, you can’t do it alone. We must work together if we want to end exploitation.

Collaboration is key. And you can help by:

Joining or forming multi-stakeholder initiatives with NGOs, unions, industry groups, and worker organisations.
Co-creating ethical standards that prioritise workers’ rights.
Taking part in shared training and capacity-building.
Encouraging supplier collaboration and support worker voice.
Partnering with local organisations who understand conditions on the ground.

Ask yourself the hard question: Is what we’re doing making a real impact?

Whether you're a designer, builder, industry body, board member, ecolabel, or certifier—this is the time to pause and reflect:

Are we enabling real change—or just meeting minimum requirements?
Are we evaluating suppliers on what they do—not just what they say?
Are building rating tools, tenders, Ecolabels and procurement processes rewarding companies that lead on this?

The truth is: people are still being exploited to build our buildings.

While we focus on carbon, circularity, and biodiversity – essential areas, no doubt —

we can’t keep overlooking the people making the products we use every day.

So, we must ask ourselves:

How long will we accept this?
How long will we tolerate exploitation as an inconvenient truth?
When will real impact become our baseline—not the exception?

It’s time to draw a line.

To stop treating human rights as optional.

Because if we keep ticking boxes, nothing will ever change.

It’s time to act.

Modern slavery doesn’t end with policies. It ends with people.

And it starts with you.

Are you ready to take meaningful action?

If you’d like to know what your organisation should do next when it comes to tackling modern slavery in your supply chain, I’m here to help you do that.

Book a call with me here, and let’s explore your next step towards meaningful action.