Justice is everybody’s business

To the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Europe

MOVEMENT STATEMENT

We demand a due diligence law that:

Makes companies respect human rights, the environment and the climate.
Puts strict, no-nonsense obligations on companies to prevent and end harm.
Holds parent companies responsible in court for harm that happens anywhere in their supply chain. No loopholes!
Guarantees collective bargaining by trade unions and gives workers’ representatives a real say in due diligence, every step of the way.
Tackles the climate crisis by making companies slash emissions throughout their value chains.
Protects the planet by holding companies accountable for all possible harms to the environment.
Applies due diligence requirements to all business relationships along their value chains.
Empowers people harmed by bad business practices, trade unions, and civil society to get justice in EU courts.
Consults everyone who is, or may be affected by business activities, and obtains consent when needed.
Gives enforcement agencies the power to thoroughly investigate and sanction companies.

Why is this important?

The European Union says it wants to protect human rights and lead the way to a sustainable future.

But the wrongdoings keep adding up. For decades European companies have exploited workers, especially in poorer countries. They have displaced communities, leaving them without homes and ways to survive. Or chopped down ancient trees for corporate profit. So you’d forgive us for being skeptical.

People and the planet have paid the price of crooked corporations for too long. And quite frankly, we’re over it.

A fairer world is possible. One where business respects the rights of workers and the lives and livelihoods of communities, elevates producers out of poverty and allows the planet to thrive. One where people around the world can get justice if they have been harmed by bad business.

With rules to hold businesses accountable, the products we need will no longer be tainted by suffering and destruction.

In early 2022, the European Commission proposed a law to turn corporate accountability into a reality. But this is just the first step to cleaning up supply chains built on exploitation.

We need your help now to stand up against corporate lobbyists working hard behind the scenes to water down the proposal.

We must defend rules that really make business more just. Rules that work for you, us, and the planet we depend on. Because justice is everybody’s business.