Responsible Companies

Our team advocates for sustainable change in business models and legal frameworks at EU and global level.
‍
We strive to improve corporate governance, transparency and accountability on sustainability matters through the development of a harmonised EU legal framework as well as through the identification and promotion of best practice.

We have been actively promoting ambitious European sustainability legislation since 2006. Our activities played an important role in the adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and more recently the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Story of the team

Frank Bold, as Environmental Law Service, works pro bono to protect local communities and nature from expropriation and negative impacts caused by a wave of foreign direct investments in the Czech Republic.

First series of meetings at the European Parliament together with the European Coalition for Corporate Justice to develop and discuss the vision for a European legal framework for corporate responsibility and access to justice.

In 2008, we presented the final results to Vice Presidents of the European Commission Verhaugen and Špidla.

In 2011, the Responsible Companies team sets up the Brussels office. In 2012, we were invited to the European Commission’s Expert Group on non-financial reporting, and lead civil society work on what became the 2014 EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive.

Purpose of the Corporation Project

The Responsible Companies team launches and leads the Purpose of the Corporation project, an open-source platform that brings together leading academic, business and civil society leaders to discuss the corporate governance framework fit for the challenges of the 21st century.

We organised a global roundtable series hosted by leading business schools in Europe and the U.S.. The final report was presented at a high-level conference in Brussels, with a key note delivered by Commissioner Věra Jourová.

Alliance for Corporate Transparency Project

In 2018, the Alliance for Corporate Transparency, led by Frank Bold’s Responsible Companies team, started as a three-year research project that brought together leading civil society organisations and experts with the aim of analysing the corporate disclosure on ESG by companies subject to the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive.

In 2019, the Alliance presents the EU Database 2019: the largest study to date on the sustainability information disclosed by the largest 1000 European companies.

In 2020, the Alliance releases the EUKI Research, an analysis of the climate, environmental and governance reporting of 300 companies in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.

Our campaign for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive culminates in its successful adoption by EU institutions.

Filip Gregor, head of the Responsible Companies section, becomes a member of the Sustainability Reporting Board of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group European (EFRAG), which is responsible drafting EU sustainability reporting standards based on the Directive’s mandate.

Our nearly 20 years-long joint effort with the European Coalition for Corporate Justice and key partners leads to the adoption of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.