Even for the unpredictable world of business and human rights, 2024 was particularly volatile, including for sustainability more generally. The European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)...more
12/10/2024
/ Africa ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
China ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Deregulation ,
Digital Services ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) ,
Military Conflict ,
Plastics ,
Popular ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sustainability ,
Tribal Lands ,
Trump Administration ,
Ukraine ,
United Nations ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
With calm being restored after the frenzied effort in the EU to pass the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), it may be time to evaluate the extent to which the law as adopted has met its original...more
After months of discussion – and years of development – on December 14, 2023, the European Council and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”). The...more
As we transition into an era of human rights due diligence mandated by regulation, many in the business and human rights community are nervously asking the same question. Will a company’s steps to identify and address actual...more
11/14/2023
/ Corruption ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Forced Labor ,
Governance Standards ,
Human Rights ,
Supply Chain ,
Undue Influence Claims ,
United Nations
Three years ago, as part of the EU’s initiative on sustainable governance, the European Commission released a lengthy study on directors’ duties. The study affirmed what many already understood: corporate decision makers face...more
8/21/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Duty of Care ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Green Deal ,
Human Rights ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
OECD ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Sustainability ,
Transparency
While it might seem counterintuitive, as business and human rights continues a sprint toward a mandatory paradigm, voluntary multi-stakeholder initiatives (“MSIs”) are perhaps more important than ever before. MSIs provide...more
A European legislative initiative aimed at requiring companies to undertake human rights and environmental due diligence is gradually but steadily making its way through the EU institutions.
Previously, on March 10, 2021, the...more
The European Union’s Draft Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”) continues to generate ample attention and feedback. At its core, the proposed directive seeks to apply the due diligence formula of the UN...more
As the European Union (“EU”) continues to debate whether downstream responsibilities will fall within the contours of its hefty Corporate Sustainability Mandatory Due Diligence Directive (“CSMDD”), and the EU Council just...more
12/5/2022
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Corporate Governance ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
OECD ,
RICO ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
UK ,
United Nations
With great anticipation, on September 14 the European Union proposed a new regulation broadly prohibiting the import, export and sale of goods made wholly or in part with forced labor (“Proposed Regulation”)....more
On June 21, 2022, the Council of the European Union (“European Council”) and European Parliament (“Parliament”) reached a provisional political agreement on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”). A copy of...more
Business and human rights is continuing its steady march toward becoming a business imperative. There are sweeping new or proposed laws focused on human rights, such as the EU’s Proposal for a Directive on Corporate...more
6/9/2022
/ Code of Conduct ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
Forced Labor ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Human Rights ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
NLRB ,
Popular ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
UK ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)