Swedwatch

🎓Join Our Online Training on Business & Human Rights!  Swedwatch, together with partners in Ukraine and the Eastern Partnership, is launching an online training programme this April-May on Business and Human Rights, funded by the Swedish Institute!   Gain valuable insights on: - BHR in the Eastern Partnership - EU integration & new legislation - BHR during conflict and corporate accountability during the Russian war against Ukraine   Don’t miss out on this chance to enhance your knowledge and connect with experts from various sectors! 💼   📅 Dates: April-May 🔗 Join us & register now: https://lnkd.in/geDhkxuj Selected participants will be informed by the end of March. Course sessions hosted by Jessica Johansson from Swedwatch, Olena Uvarova, from Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and Law Group of Wageningen University Markus Krajewski, from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg Akaki Kukhaleishvili, from UN Global Compact Network Georgia Kateryna Buriakovska, from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg Beata F., from Polski Instytut Praw Człowieka i Biznesu (Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business) In collaboration with Östgruppen and Moldovan Institute for Business and Human Rights.

Greenwashing instead of concrete climate action. Making it harder to hold companies accountable in legal proceedings. Fewer audits. Fewer companies being covered. These are some of the consequences of the Omnibus package that the EU Commission presented yesterday – a serious betrayal of workers and local communities worldwide. #CSDDD #NoToOmnibus

📢 The Omnibus Proposal: A Step Back for Corporate Accountability in the EU!  The Omnibus proposal is now official, and with it comes the dismantling of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (#CSDDD)—a critical tool that was designed to hold businesses accountable for environmental and human rights issues across their global value chains.    Here’s how:    ✗ Weaker Due Diligence – Companies will only assess direct partners, ignoring abuses that could happen further down the value chain, like forced and child labor. Due diligence checks drop from annual to once every five years.    ✗ No Access to Justice – Civil liability is removed, meaning EU Member States would no longer have an obligation to establish civil liability for harm caused by a company’s failure to meet its due diligence obligations.    ✗ Greenwashing Instead of Action – Companies would no longer be required to implement climate plans, turning them into meaningless promises without enforcement.    ✗ Delays in Implementation – The CSDDD transposition deadline is pushed back by a year, delaying corporate accountability and action on human rights and the climate crisis.    The EU’s decision to prioritize deregulation at the cost of corporate responsibility is a dangerous one. By reducing transparency and accountability, this proposal sets a risky precedent for global business practices and sends the wrong message on sustainability.    Now it’s up to the Members of the European Parliament and the member states to take a stand for human rights, the environment, and climate. They have a choice: allow big business lobbyists to undo the progress made, or defend a sustainable and fair economy. #NoToOmnibus

Companies say CSDDD is a financial burden... is it really? 🧐 We analysed 900+ CSDDD companies and found: 📈 soaring profits 📈 booming shareholder payouts Implementing CSDDD would only cost these companies 0.13% of what they paid shareholders in 2023. Instead of paying favours to large multinational enterprises, the European Commission should focus on promoting business conduct and innovation that serves people and the planet, not profits ❌ More information ➡️ https://bitl.to/42Th #CSDDD #CSRD #EUTaxonomy #UrsulaVonDerLeyen #DueDiligence #HumanRights #Climate European Coalition for Corporate Justice

🚨 More news coverage in Dagens Industri on the latest omnibus proposal, which essentially risks killing the #CSDDD: https://lnkd.in/dxHhtJCR ***** EU planerar att genomförande svepande sänkningar av regionens regelverk för miljörapportering. Det framgår av ett dokument som Politico tagit del av. Detta i syfte att väcka liv i den haltande ekonomin. Enligt dokumentet skulle en hel del verksamheter undantas från att efterleva reglerna för hållbarhetsrapportering. Det gör att det endast är de största bolagen kommer att omfattas av reglerna. Enligt den ideella forskningsorganisationen Swedwatch gäller det den redan antagna hållbarhetslagen CSDDD. "Syftet sägs vara att förenkla för europeiska företag och öka deras konkurrenskraft. Men det här handlar snarare om en fullständig nedmontering av EU:s hållbarhetslagar", säger Alice Blondel, kanslichef på Swedwatch. Blondel säger att det är oerhört allvarligt och helt oacceptabelt ifall det läckan visar på stämmer. "En lag som ska reglera kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter och se till att företag tar sitt ansvar för både miljö och människor nedmonteras - bakom stängda dörrar och i rekordfart. Om det här blir verklighet kommer det möjliggöra att de värsta riskerna kopplade till företagsverksamhet kan fortsätta. Det inkluderar allt från exploatering av arbetstagare och miljöföroreningar till attacker mot civila och människroättsförsvarare, samtidigt som företagen påstår sig följa reglerna", säger Alice Blondel. ****

A leaked draft of the European Commission’s upcoming Omnibus Proposal suggests drastic rollbacks to key sustainability laws, including the already adopted Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (#CSDDD). If passed, it would allow human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and worker exploitation to continue unchecked, while companies maintain a façade of compliance. The EU was on track to set a global standard for responsible business conduct. Weakening these laws now would be a devastating step backward. As the Omnibus Proposal is expected to be unveiled on February 26, decision-makers must take a stand. Swedwatch has already urged Swedish EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall to defend the integrity of EU sustainability laws. Read more: https://lnkd.in/entiUr-U

🔴 POLITICO's summary of the leaked proposed amendments to the #CSDDD paints an extremely worrying and grim picture: ❌ "Companies would no longer have to look beyond suppliers with which they have a direct business relationship. The frequency at which they are expected to monitor suppliers would be reduced to once every five years, down from annually." ❌ "In addition, companies would no longer be forced to terminate that relationship with suppliers that fail to improve their behavior." ❌ "The Commission also wants to scrap the current EU-wide liability regime, in order to “reduce litigation risk” for businesses. That would mean that holding companies liable for breaches under the CSDDD would only exist under national laws." ❌ "The proposed changes also limit the scope of the term “stakeholder,” reducing the number of people and communities businesses must consider when conducting their due diligence." ❌ "The draft also softens the original requirement for companies to put into force a climate change transition plan." ❌ "The text also amends rules on how member countries should fine non-compliant companies, removing a requirement from the existing rule that the fine be linked to a company’s turnover." https://lnkd.in/d9pxD-Zy

In Sweden, we say #NoToOmnibus!  Swedwatch together with a group of civil society organizations have sent an official letter to call on Commissioner Jessika Roswall to stand against #Omnibus.   Commissioner Roswall is responsible for protecting our environment and promoting sustainability, but the Omnibus does the opposite. Here’s why it must be stopped: ● Bad Timing: CSRD is not fully in place, and the implementation of CSDDD is just starting—changing the rules now would delay and disrupt implementation. ● Wrong Scope: The Omnibus aims to cut reporting, but CSDDD is about due diligence and a risk-based approach throughout the value chains, making it the wrong target. ● Uncertainty for Companies: Businesses need stability, but the Omnibus creates confusion, delays investment, and punishes early adopters. ● Political Risk: A non-transparent process risks weakening protection for human rights, the environment, and climate.    Commissioner Roswall, take note: Your colleague Commissioner Magnus Brunner is also facing public scrutiny. Will you stand for people & planet, or for deregulation? European Coalition for Corporate Justice Ursula von der Leyen #CSDDD

Public buyers and brands hold massive purchasing power. But how often do we ask the right questions? Audits check documents. Inspectors visit factories. But do they sit down with the workers sewing the clothes? Do they ask if wages are livable, if safety measures exist beyond paper? Too often, the answer is no.   If we’re serious about responsible procurement, we must shift power. Workers need a direct role in monitoring their own conditions. Unions, grievance mechanisms, and real dialogue—not just compliance checklists. 📺 More on this can be found on our webinar on Public Procurement and CSDDD: https://lnkd.in/ds-m_fcu

Thanks Swedwatch for organizing this webinar. Business and human rights needs to be integrated in our mainstream agendas to have more transparent and accountable public procurement processes.