INVESTOR BRIEFING: Mandating Due Diligence in the EU and Beyond: Where are we now, how did we get here, and where do we go?
On May 2, 2024, join the Investor Alliance and its partners, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and the World Benchmarking Alliance, for an investor briefing on a significant milestone that has been reached within the EU, with global implications for responsible business conduct.
On March 15, 2024, EU Member States reached a political deal laying out the elements of mandated human rights and environmental due diligence through the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This deal is set to be signed off by the European Parliament on April 24 paving the way for the EU to take the first steps in implementing the law already this year.
For a few weeks, that outcome seemed far from certain after key Member States reneged on the compromise reached in December via trilogue negotiations. While the final compromise text contains additional concessions to the original agreement, particularly on the number of covered companies, civil society generally welcomed the outcome, heralding its significance and potential global impact.
This investor briefing will explore key provisions of the CSDDD, including its alignment with due diligence processes laid out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and requirements around implementation, enforcement, accountability, and remedy. We will discuss the political compromises reached, including largely the exclusion of financial actors, and how the CSDDD fits within the larger European sustainability regulatory landscape, especially alongside the existing German supply chain law.
This briefing is designed for investors and will focus on the impacts of the transition into hard law and how investors can best utilize their leverage to ensure effective implementation of the CSDDD.
Our panelists include:
Rebecca DeWinter-Schmitt, Associate Director, Investor Alliance for Human Rights
Joanne Bauer, Co-Founder, Rights CoLab
Richard Gardiner, EU Public Policy Lead, World Benchmarking Alliance
Irene Knoke, Researcher, Südwind
Chavi Keeney Nana, Director, Equitable Global Supply Chains, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Christopher Patz, Policy Officer, European Coalition for Corporate Justice
Hazell Ransome, Policy Specialist, Principles for Responsible Investment
Watch the full webinar here: