Respect for Human Rights and the Environment

The proposal aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour throughout global value chains. Companies will be required to identify and, where necessary, prevent, end, or mitigate adverse impacts of their activities on human rights, such as child labour and exploitation of workers, and on the environment, for example pollution and biodiversity loss. The European Commission says that for businesses these new rules will bring legal certainty and a level playing field, whilst for consumers and investors they will provide more transparency.