Filip Gregor
Head of the Responsible Companies Team
Due diligence is a precondition for the sustainable activities as defined by the EU Taxonomy and green financing under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, including green bonds. Particular ESG due diligence requirements will be regulated by the forthcoming Sustainable Corporate Governance Directive. To help companies better understand its scope and to clarify its requirements, Frank Bold is hosting a webinar. It will feature international experts from companies such as Ericsson and outdoor clothing manufacturer Vaude. We invite you to join us on 26 January at 10 am CET.
The webinar aims to clarify the content of due diligence standards and, based on good practice examples, explain how companies can effectively implement them. The event will be of particular interest to public administration, the business sector, banks, and investors. And mainly for the stakeholders from the Central and Eastern Europe.
1. Principles of due diligence, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
→ Legislation and expectations, Lucie Slavíková, Ministry of Justice, Czech Republic
→ UN and OECD due diligence standards and their application in practice, Rachel Davis, Shift
→ Implementation of the new German legislation and good practice, Susanne Gasde, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany
→ Case studies: what is considered as good and bad practice, Filip Gregor, Frank Bold
2. Experience of companies with practical application; Q&A 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
→ Théo Jaekel, Corporate Responsibility Expert, Ericsson
→ Bettina Roth, Head of Quality Management & CSR Supply Chain, Vaude
→ Julien Lavarini, Responsible Supply Chain Manager, Lorenz
The European Commission is planning to publish its Sustainable Corporate Governance proposal and submit it to Parliament and Council in February 2022. A key element of this proposal should be rules on sustainability due diligence, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and OECD standards. In the context of the EU's sustainable finance strategy, due diligence is one of the pre-conditions for the sustainable activities as defined by the EU Taxonomy Regulation and green financing under the SFDR, including green bonds.
The proposal should clarify how companies should approach the identification and management of significant negative impacts on people and the planet related to their business model and value chains. Due diligence is a risk-oriented process. Its requirements are based on the company's position, its involvement in adverse impacts, and its ability to influence these impacts.
During this webinar, we will explain due diligence standards and companies will share their experience with the practical implementation of the German legislation and of the UN and OECD standards , including how their meaningful implementation supports better business governance.
Several German ministries led by the Socialist and Green parties have sent a letter to the EU Commission with the objective of rolling back European legislation on corporate sustainability reporting. This legal framework will be applicable to 27 EU Member States as of January 1st, 2025, but German parties, immersed in electoral and political infighting, are using this legislation to promise quick, but dysfunctional solutions.
This study examines the sustainability disclosures of 15 leading financial market participants (FMPs) and 45 associated investment products complying with the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). It provides critical insights into Art. 8 and 9 products’ objectives and methods, highlights key challenges and emerging best practices.
More than 90 organisations representing civil society, business, banks and investor interests, express deep concern over the misrepresentation of EU sustainability reporting as a threat to competitiveness.
