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EUROPEAN SDG ROUNDTABLE - Due Diligence and Positive Change: a Value-Chain Approach


We are addressing the following SDGs:

SPEAKERS

Within an estimated population of 450 million people working in global supply chains, the number of those facing reduced income or job loss are dramatically increasing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This unprecedented situation is only adding to the already growing expectations faced world-wide by companies and policymakers concerning the adoption and implementation of mandatory environmental and human rights due diligence laws.

As pointed out by the European Commission, there are limits to what companies can do individually or via voluntary standard schemes and industry coalitions. Many supply chain sustainability challenges and opportunities relate to structural and systemic issues that require collective action beyond what the private sector can achieve on its own. At the same time, concerns exist regarding the unintended adverse consequences of mandatory due diligence legislation in producer countries. Leading companies may respond to the new obligations by disengaging from high-risk countries or sectors to de-risk their supply chains or may impose additional pressure and costs on upstream supply chain operators, thereby weakening their capacity to respect human rights and environmental standards and ensure sustainable livelihoods.

This roundtable will address the challenges faced by upstream actors in going “beyond due diligence” and explore the ways how downstream actors, civil society and governments can really work together towards the change required.  The Roundtable will bring in examples from the cocoa, rubber and cobalt/copper sourcing and will focus on producer/supplier capacity-building measures, empowerment and impact investment approaches

JOIN THIS EUROPEAN SDG ROUNDTABLE TO:

  • Discover the challenges faced by upstream actors in going “beyond due diligence”

  • Discover how downstream actors, civil society and governments can really work together towards the change required.

  • Learn more about producer/supplier capacity-building measures, empowerment and impact investment approaches.


WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

  • Sustainability and purchasing managers of downstream companies & their suppliers.

  • Investors.

  • Civil society organizations.

  • Development agencies.