2022-23 Trócaire Annual Report
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2022-23 Trócaire Annual Report
Learn MoreGifts of Change
Buy a Gift of ChangeThis Thursday, EU Ministers gather in Brussels for a crucial vote on the creation of new human rights and sustainability rules for business.
This new law could be a game changer in putting an end to child labour, land grabs, deforestation and oil spills.
But there are reports that Ireland is trying to weaken this law in crunch negotiations. We can’t let that happen.
This is urgent. We need to tell our TDs that Ireland should be protecting human rights and the environment rather than protecting corporations.
Please email your TDs now.
Just fill in your details and press send. The pre-written email below will be sent to your TDs.
Trócaire is a member of the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights. For more information on the coalition, and to read case-studies of Irish companies complicit in human rights abuses, click here.
As your constituent from *TOWN*, I am writing to share my concern with you about the adverse impact corporations are having across the world on the environment, on human rights and on human rights defenders.
Given that crucial negotiations are happening in the EU at present on the proposed new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive, we need Ireland to step up and make sure this new legislation effectively minimises the negative impacts of corporate activity on workers, communities, and the environment.
I am very concerned of reports in the media that Ireland is working to weaken this directive, as Ireland is reportedly pushing to reduce the obligations for companies in the financial sector.
As such, I urge you to write to Minister Dara Calleary, who is negotiating on behalf of Ireland at the Council of the EU and will be attending a key ministerial meeting this Thursday in Brussels. Please ask him to work with his colleagues across the EU to strengthen the European Commission’s proposed new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive, and to not play a damaging role in watering down this directive any further.
This directive is a historic opportunity to tackle corporate abuse of people and planet, including sweatshops, child labour, land grabs, oil spills and other serious harms. If done right, the European Commission’s proposed new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive could make a significant contribution towards cleaning up global value chains.
Communities around the world have been waiting years for these new EU rules. However, the draft rules don’t go far enough, and in its present form the directive contains significant flaws. Furthermore, I’m worried about media reports which suggest the directive could be watered down even further.
It’s essential that Ireland steps up to try and strengthen this directive. A weak law that becomes a ‘tickbox exercise’ for companies could be worse than no law.
The key areas that I would like to see improved are:
Please act to ensure that Ireland takes action to strengthen this directive. Ahead of the key meetings this week at the Council of the European Union, I would urge you to write to Minister Calleary requesting that Ireland uses its influence in the European Union to strengthen this directive.
Yours sincerely,
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