Abstract

Millions of people are trafficked all over the world currently, especially in environmental and natural resource management industries such as agriculture, mining, forestry, fishing, and waste management. Forced labour, human trafficking, low wages, and other forms of employment discrimination hinder efforts to achieve sustainable development and jeopardize conservation efforts globally. In this paper, a combined interdisciplinary analytical approach is applied to explore how modern slavery, eradication, equality promotion, and sustainable environmental governance are interlinked. It looks at how ethical employment practices, environmental approaches that include social justice, and monitoring systems that rely on technology can enhance social justice in conservation and environmental management. Qualitative and comparative research methodology has been used with secondary data obtained from international labour reports, sustainability studies, the environmental governance framework, and the human rights database. It shows that there are some 50 million people in the world who are living in conditions of modern slavery, many of whom are working in very environmentally-intensive industries. The results show that companies with clear information on their value chain, with women's participation in decision-making processes, with fair working conditions, and with policies that focus on the community and its conservation, show better results in terms of environmental sustainability performance and social welfare. Additionally, the adoption of computer-based auditing systems, blockchain traceability, and policy accountability systems greatly minimizes labour exploitation risks and improves environmental compliance. The researchers find that eradicating modern slavery and promoting equality are critical first steps towards longer-term environmental sustainability and effective conservation management. The suggested framework is based on the protection of human rights, on the principle of inclusive participation and sustainable management of resources, which are essential for the development of ethical environmental governance. The research presents some pragmatic policy recommendations to policymakers, environmental agencies, industries, and international organizations that aim to put in place socially responsible and environmentally resilient management systems.