Human Rights Due Diligence | Business and Human Rights

Regulatory Alignment

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Across industries, companies are facing a changing and increasingly complex regulatory landscape. The soft norms that have governed responsible business conduct related to human rights and the environment are increasingly hardening into obligations. We believe this poses a unique opportunity for business to strengthen existing programs while feeling secure that partners across their value chain are more likely to respect human and environmental rights.

WHAT WE DO

We work with our clients to translate regulatory advancements into actionable guidance for teams across the company to operationalize. This ranges from policy and product changes, robust due diligence across value chains, and strategies to align with emerging regulatory expectations, including the proposed EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, national due diligence legislation including the German Act on Due Diligence in Corporate Supply Chains 2021 US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (USFLPA), the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), and the proposed EU AI Act. To deliver maximum value with each engagement, we work to promote rights-compatible approaches, rather than a check-the-box exercise.

Regulatory Reviews

We partner with companies to conduct regulatory alignment assessments to help prepare management to meet the expectations of emerging regulation.

Assessing gaps between existing policies and processes and international frameworks, existing regulations, and emerging requirements
Developing actionable roadmaps for alignment with regulation and good practices
Outlining the broad impact of the patchwork of regulations to support companies in understanding what matters and prioritization actions to align

Strategy and Process

We work with companies to strengthen governance processes that advance human rights and environmental sustainability.

Assisting with the design of policies and processes which are consistent with the company’s ambition and regulatory requirements
Developing robust, actionable strategies to identify, assess and address risks, consistent with regulatory requirements, including governance processes for due diligence, responsible innovation and environmental responsibility
Facilitating integration into day-to-day business processes and strengthening internal working methods across teams

Due Diligence

We bring our expert understanding of international human rights and environmental standards to assist our clients.

Developing frameworks to prioritize, design and implement robust due diligence programs
Conducting due diligence across value chains, including human rights impact assessments, materiality assessments, and product and commodity level assessments
Providing guidance on stakeholder engagement approaches and robust grievance mechanisms
Building internal capacity across workstreams from operations and functions to C-Suite executives