In the third episode of the PRI’s human rights podcast series, the PRI’s Elena Espinoza speaks to two members of Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved families of the Grenfell Tower fire, and Simon Whistler, real assets lead at the PRI.
The Grenfell Tower fire occurred early in the morning of Wednesday 14 June 2017 in North Kensington, London. It spread quickly through the tower block’s 24 stories, taking the lives of 72 people and injuring many more.
After the disaster, it emerged that the cladding that was put on the tower during its refurbishment fuelled the fire.
As a result of mounting pressure from bereaved families, investors have been selling shares in Grenfell Tower cladding firm Kingspan.
In this episode, Grenfell United speak about the ways in which they raised concerns before the fire and how they have engaged with investors who are tied to companies linked with the tragedy.
The PRI's Simon Whistler then reflects on Grenfell United’s testimony, outlining how investors can strengthen their due diligence processes and describing the lessons that investors internationally can learn.
Interested in the resources discussed in this episode?
Investors sell of shares in Grenfell Tower insultation firm Kingspan
US judge allows lawsuit against Grenfell Tower cladding firm
Drawing on insights from 2021’s AGM season, this PRI podcast episode dives into the subject of achieving meaningful outcomes through investor stewardship, particularly in the context of climate action and decarbonisation. The guest speakers share both academic and practical insights on the stewardship tools and practices at investors’ disposal when considering climate action as a systemic issue and from a universal ownership perspective.