The need for a joint statement on the framework comes as the EU Commission anticipates the introduction of the Omnibus legislation.
The organisations also include ETI’s Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish counterparts, Fair Labor Association, Fair Wear, German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, and Green Button.
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The legislation, which is expected to be presented in the coming week, is intended to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and streamline key sustainability regulations, with changes anticipated in the EU’s sustainability structure such as the EU Taxonomy, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
In light of these potential changes, the organisations are advocating for an even-handed approach to global supply chain regulation.
The joint declaration draws upon the coaliton’s extensive expertise in aiding companies with the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) due diligence into their operations.
“Our respective organisations already have years of experience supporting companies as they improve their supply chains through effective due diligence. We remain certain that the adopted directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD) will bring scale to current due diligence efforts and support the practical implementation of international standards (such as the OECD Guidelines, the UNGPs, and ILO Conventions). As the EU considers changes to CSDDD and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) as part of the Omnibus discussions, we reiterate our full support for pragmatic implementation of the EU sustainability due diligence framework which will level the playing field across global supply chains,” the joint statement reads.
Recommendations to the European Commission
The signatories have urged the European Commission to:
1. Facilitate a practical and impactful execution of the EU Sustainability Due Diligence Framework.
2. Provide legal certainty to ensure businesses can function efficiently within the EU market and foster confidence among global trade partners interacting with EU entities.
3. Guard against any deregulatory actions that might be misconstrued as efforts towards greater boldness or simplicity but could potentially undermine commitments to sustainability.
The 11 organisations are dedicated to assisting businesses in meeting their due diligence responsibilities while continuing to push for a balanced, legally robust, and forward-looking sustainability framework.
Earlier this month, research conducted by data platform Semarchy suggested that most companies (83%) are uncertain about their ability to present ESG data that is compliant with the European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
