How do we improve the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence law?

The European Commission has recently published its long-awaited new draft rules on corporate accountability. The proposed new EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) Directive is aimed at cleaning up global supply chains and minimising the negative global impacts of business on workers, communities, and the environment. This is an important opportunity to ensure that those who profit from human rights and environmental violations are held to account and that affected communities can access justice.

The Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights (ICBHR) welcomes the publication of this draft Directive, which will ultimately need to be transposed into Irish law, as a significant milestone in shifting away from the current reliance on predominantly voluntary standards towards firmer legal requirements for mandatory human rights and environmental ‘due diligence’ rules for businesses. However, at present there are significant weaknesses and serious flaws in the draft text that risk it being an ineffective tick-box exercise.

This paper outlines key recommendations for the Irish Government, MEPs, TDs, and Senators to strengthen the draft Directive. We are keen to ensure that this CSDD Directive is as effective as possible, and truly transforms the situation on the ground for the impacted communities and human rights defenders, particularly women and indigenous peoples, who are most affected by corporate abuses of power.