Building a Better Future:
How Sustainable Businesses Can Protect Children’s Rights

Annette Stube, Chief Sustainability Officer at the LEGO Group, and Diana Ringe Krogh, Vice President of Social Responsibility at the LEGO Group, share the company’s approach to inspiring and developing future generations, and explain why the LEGO Group has supported Global Child Forum in the development of a unique toolkit to help businesses better promote and respect the interests of children within their sustainability work.

Children have the same basic human rights as adults, as well as specific rights that recognise their needs as children, such as the right to play. Sadly, not all children get to enjoy these rights. Too many have their childhoods cut short. Too many go without access to education and healthcare, or are forced to work in fields and factories. According to UNICEF, more than 330 million children worldwide live in extreme poverty – on less than $2.15 a day.

Shaping young lives for the better

At the LEGO Group, everything we do is guided by our vision to become a global force for Learning Through Play, our fundamental belief in children’s right to play, and our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.

When children play, they develop essential life skills, such as learning to solve problems, and boosting confidence, creativity, and resilience while having fun. Children are our role models, and we know that failing to offer them a proper childhood can have serious, longterm consequences – both for children and for society as a whole.

Social research shows that what we experience during childhood remains with us for the rest of our lives. We understand that business can sometimes have unintended consequences for children, which is why it’s so important to address and mitigate these impacts responsibly. When managed well, business can positively shape young lives.

That’s what the new toolkit, The Corporate Playbook: Embedding Children’s Rights in ESRS Reporting, is about. Developed by Global Child Forum and supported by the LEGO Group, its aim is to raise awareness among businesses of the importance of respecting and promoting children’s rights.

It does so by showing companies, clearly and practically, how they can use the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) as a framework to promote the rights and best interests of children throughout their business operations.

Safe, and designed with children in mind

The LEGO Group was the first toy company to commit to the ten Children’s Rights and Business Principles, and children’s play, learning and development have always been at the centre of what we do. We also believe passionately that all businesses can play a crucial role in promoting and respecting the best interests of children – from banks and supermarkets to fashion retailers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and tech companies.

As business leaders, we have a duty to ensure our products are safe and that they are designed with children’s best interests in mind. This goes for physical products as well as any digital engagement with children.

At the same time, businesses also have wider social and environmental duties – to reduce air pollution, safeguard the natural world for future generations and help end the devastating practice of child labour once and for all. Since COVID-19, child labour figures have risen by over 5%, and nearly half of these children are engaged in hazardous work, defined as work likely to harm their health, safety or morals.

Clear business benefits

This isn’t simply the right thing to do: protecting children’s rights also brings clear benefits for business in reducing operating risk, strengthening recruitment, and building trust with local communities – the trust on which companies depend for their long-term success. More and more, customers are looking for brands that care about sustainability, and they’re happy to support them. This creates new opportunities and rewards responsible brands.

It’s clear that business can be a powerful force for positive change. Over one billion children are affected by global business supply chains, either directly or indirectly. Businesses touch millions more because they provide products to children, or because they employ their parents or other family members.

Working closely with governments and NGOs, we can commit to respecting and promoting the rights of children and play our part in making sure that every child has every right, no matter what their background or where they are in the world.