The State of Children’s Rights & Business

Consumer Discretionary

Sector Focus

About this sector

Consumer Discretionary

Consumer Discretionary includes companies that produce and commercialise consumer goods.

A risk of child labour

Within the Consumer Discretionary sector, child labour is one of the most recognised negative impacts on children’s rights. But there are a number of other ways in which the rights of children are impacted – as dependents of workers, as workers themselves, and as community members surrounding factories and farms.  A concerted effort by industry bodies and individual companies is needed to understand how children are affected in all aspects by their business operations and value chains.

It’s also important to remember that children are consumers of the products produced by companies within this sector. Young people are vulnerable to harmful impacts from marketing and advertising, which must be conducted responsibly.

The sector includes the following industries:

  • Apparel & Footwear
  • Motor Vehicle & Parts – B2C
  • Passenger Transport
  • Retail
  • Entertainment

Read on to discover insights into the performance of this sector based on our unique benchmark series, The State of Children’s Rights and Business.

Want to know more?

How did this sector perform?

Watch a summary of the Consumer Discretionary 2025 Benchmark Results

Sector Scorecard

Consumer Discretionary

Need a summary of this sector’s benchmark performance?

Download Sector Scorecard
Top 5

Best performing companies

Since 2013, Global Child Forum has been benchmarking the world’s most influential companies, assessing how they respond to children’s rights. Our data can be used by corporates to increase their social impact, and for investors to inform their decision-making.

 

The scores in this top list come from the Global Benchmark 2024, and are based on the total selection of 1,802 companies – find out more about which companies were benchmarked here.

 

Choose your industry to the right to see the top five scoring companies. You can also search for a specific company name in the field below.

Select sector:
Company Average score
Wilmar
Tele2
PLDT
Telia
Aldi Süd
Larsen & Toubro
Brigade Enterprises Ltd
ABB
Airbus
Charoen Pokphand Group
Teck Resources
Suzano
Norsk Hydro
JSW Steel
Sumitomo Forestry
Adidas
LVMH
Stellantis
Kering
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail
Neste
Chesapeake Energy
Hellenic Energy
Santos 
SK Innovation
Hanwha Life
Central Pattana
Danske Bank
Bank of Nova Scotia
UOB
Wilmar
Aldi Süd
FrieslandCampina
Musim Mas
Meiji
Bayer
Moderna
Merck
Sanofi
Merck & Co
Tele2
PLDT
Telia
Orange
BT Group
Governance &
Collaboration
Workplace
Marketplace
Community &
Environment

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We’re here to answer your questions

Nina Vollmer

Director Child Rights and Sustainability

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As the organisation’s senior expert, Nina conducts research and supports companies on how to improve their understanding of, and impact on children’s lives. She develops and works with the tools and services that Global Child Forum offers, including the Business Academy, Scorecard Feedback service, guidance and best practices. Nina also supports with content creation for events and communications. With responsibility for the methodology behind the Corporate Sector and Children’s Rights Benchmark, Nina is the appointed spokesperson for benchmark activities, and regularly speaks at key events and conferences. Nina holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Lund University (Sweden), and has worked both nationally and internationally with human rights and development within the NGO sector.
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Clémence Gervais

Benchmark manager

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Clémence is Global Child Forum’s Benchmark Manager. She oversees the realization of the Children's Rights and Business' Benchmark as well as GCF's Benchmark Report, the State of Children's Rights and Business, in partnership with BCG. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the French School of Public Health (EHESP), as well as a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Sciences Po Rennes (France). Before joining Global Child Forum, Clémence worked in several organizations in France, Peru, and Sweden, coordinating projects and missions related to social work and public health.
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