International Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR)

Companies that opearte within the EU are expected to do so with respect for human rights and the environment, also in relation to their value chains.

ICSR requires fair working conditions, transparent trading practices and the prevention of negative impacts such as forced labour, child labour, environmental damage or corruption. To prevent such abuses, your company must implement a due diligence process to manage ESG risks within your own operations and those of your suppliers.

Since 2011, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) have formed the leading framework for companies to address human rights issues within their own operations and across their entire value chain. The UNGPs establish the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and expect companies to implement a due diligence process to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for their impact on human rights.

Over the past decade, an increasing amount of mandatory due diligence legislation has been introduced, both by individual countries and by the European Union. Although all these regulations build on the UNGPs, there is still limited guidance available on how companies should organise themselves internally to effectively manage their impact on human rights.

If you are looking for support or have a general question about Sustainability due diligence, please feel free to contact us.