Fund advisor presses EV startup Rivian on environment, human rights ahead of IPO

FILE PHOTO: R.J. Scaringe, Rivian's 35-year-old CEO, introduces his company's R1T all-electric pickup and all-electric R1S SUV at Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake

DETROIT (Reuters) -A union-affiliated pension fund advisor said it is pressing Rivian on human rights and environment concerns in the electric vehicle startup's battery supply chain ahead of its expected blockbuster initial public offering.

SOC Investment Group, in a letter sent Wednesday to Rivian board member Rose Marcario, called on the Irvine, California-based company to "commit to a rigorous human rights assessment of Rivian and its value chain" before it finalizes the S-1 document with U.S. regulators for its IPO. SOC provided a copy of the letter to Reuters.