Too many companies across the globe have been profiting from exploiting people and the planet. Their activities have caused or contributed to climate breakdown, biodiversity collapse, the erosion of workers’ and trade union rights, forced and child labour, growing poverty, and the killings of environmental and human rights defenders. This requires immediate action. Many European countries are paving the way with laws to make business accountable for these types of corporate abuse, and the EU is stepping up with its own proposal.

European civil society has put together this press kit, gathering insight and evidence on the upcoming proposal from the European Commission to make companies accountable – the sustainable corporate governance directive.

This law is set to become a hot topic of discussion, as EU Member States’ national governments are showing different levels of ambition, despite overwhelming public support, whilst corporate lobbies have been mobilising to weaken the law at every turn, both publicly and behind the scenes.

This press kit was developed by Anti-Slavery International, Amnesty International, CIDSE, Clean Clothes Campaign International Office, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, the European Coalition for Corporate Justice, International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), Friends of the Earth Europe, Global Witness and Oxfam.