Promoting human rights and environmental due diligence in global supply chains
Project description
Title: Initiative for Global Solidarity
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Global, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Serbia, Viet Nam
Overall term: 2021 to 2024
Context
Violations of human rights, as well as social and environmental standards continue to occur in global supply chains. Sustainability and corporate due diligence play an increasingly important role in addressing these issues. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and similar regulations at EU level require companies to analyse social and ecological risks in their supply chains, take appropriate preventive measures and monitor their effectiveness.
Objective
The comprehensive and joint implementation of human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) is improved so that companies can live up to their responsibilities along global supply chains.
Approach
The Initiative for Global Solidarity (IGS) enables corporate buyers and suppliers in the garment and electronics sector to assume shared responsibility for the impacts of their business practices on people and the planet. It supports them in preventively addressing or mitigating human rights and environmental risks. To this end, the IGS establishes models of shared responsibility between buying and supplying companies, for example, increased wages through responsible purchasing practices.
Reliable and standardised supply-chain data is a prerequisite for sound risk analysis and for measuring progress. Therefore, the IGS promotes transparency in supply chains, fosters industry-wide standards and improves the availability and quality of data. It develops and disseminates open data standards for the harmonised collection of social and environmental indicators.
The IGS sets up local helpdesks to enable implementation at scale by matching local manufacturers with service providers. The helpdesks also inform, raise awareness and advise manufacturing companies about the standards and requirements of HREDD.
Until now, workers have often not been able to report violations of labour and environmental standards. The IGS wants to change this and is working together with companies, industry initiatives and civil society organisations to establish, develop and harmonise internal and external complaints mechanisms.
Last update: December 2022