Modern slavery is a human rights challenge, but it is also a material business and investment risk. An estimated 50 million people live in modern slavery, including 27.6 million in forced labour, generating US$236 billion in illicit profits each year. For investors, lenders and companies, exposure to forced labour can bring penalties, supply-chain disruption, litigation, loss of market access and reputational damage. Addressing these risks also represents an investment opportunity that remains largely unrealized. UNDP’s Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking Initiative (FAST) 2026 Investment Study estimates an annual investment gap of around US$36 billion between 2025 and 2030. Closing that gap requires a clearer business case for action. FAST’s Integrated Impact Business Case (IIBC) is designed to help make that case. It extends traditional financial appraisal by considering two additional dimensions: the avoidable costs of inaction and strategic business value. This can include avoided penalties and disruption, stronger supply-chain resilience and workforce stability, and improvements in investor confidence, brand value and market access. The difference can be significant. In one illustrative FAST case, a US$3 million audit and remediation programme produces a negative NPV and a -50% IRR under a conventional appraisal. Once avoided risks and strategic benefits are included, the impact-integrated NPV rises to approximately US$1.3 million and the IRR to 40%. There is clear interest from the market. In a FAST survey of 100 senior financial professionals, more than 90% said modern slavery and human trafficking risks should be integrated into investment decisions, while close to 80% would consider formally incorporating them into investment policies. The challenge is translating that interest into practice. Limited metrics, fragmented reporting, and the lack of consistent investment-appraisal approaches still make these risks difficult to assess. At Building Bridges 2026, FAST will test the IIBC directly with investment professionals, gather feedback and explore how it can be applied in real investment decisions. The aim is to make the financial case for action as visible as the human case, and to show how addressing exploitation can contribute to resilience and long-term value creation.

– Author: Nawaz (Nash) Peerbocus, Economist and Sustainable Finance Consultant, Lead Author of the UNDP FAST Business Case for Action & Jill Huinder, Finance and Human Rights Specialist, FAST Initiative Coordinator, UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub

– This contribution is brought to you by UNDP Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S), a valued Founding Partner of Building Bridges 2026.