2021-12-08
Open letter to President Von der Leyen: Time to show leadership on the SCG initiative
Article
In an open letter, Swedwatch and a broad coalition of civil society organisations raise strong concerns about the new delay to the publication of the planned Commission proposal on a Sustainable Corporate Governance (SCG) initiative.
Read the full letter here.
- Publication: Article
Latest publications
Policy paper
30 September, 2026
Setting out priorities for business and human rights in the Eastern Partnership
How can Eastern Partnership countries strengthen corporate respect for human rights and align more closely with international standards? And what do recent changes to the EU’s corporate sustainability due diligence rules mean for corporate accountability?
Two new policy briefs explore these questions and set out recommendations for policymakers and businesses in the Eastern Partnership and the EU. Their publication also marks the conclusion of the two-year SustainableBiz4EaP project.
In this briefing we examine environmental and social concerns linked to nickel production at the two largest nickel mining and refining operations on the island Sulawesi, Indonesia. It draws on the experiences of affected communities and workers, alongside environmental evidence, and considers what these findings mean for investors and their responsibilities and leverage within nickel value chai...
Report
17 September, 2026
Investor briefing: The nickel supply chain
Demand for nickel is expected to grow as the climate transition accelerates, driven by electric vehicle batteries and other fossil-free technologies, alongside demand from sectors such as defense.
In this briefing we examine environmental and social concerns linked to nickel production at the two largest nickel mining and refining operations on the island Sulawesi, Indonesia. It draws on the experiences of affected communities and workers, alongside environmental evidence, and considers what these findings mean for investors and their responsibilities and leverage within nickel value chai...
Article
Civic space
Policy paper
14 September, 2026
Funding cuts threaten progress on business and human rights at a critical moment
Organisations working on business and human rights have lost an average of 40% of their funding since 2024, and one in eight say they will shut down if nothing changes. A global survey by Swedwatch, the European Coalition for Corporate Justice and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre points to a deepening funding crisis, with consequences for people most vulnerable to business-related harms. The cuts come at a critical time, as mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence laws place new obligations on companies and increase the need for effective implementation and independent scrutiny.
This article presents the key survey findings and explores what the funding crisis means for the future of business and human rights and corporate accountabili...
Article
Civic space
Supply chains
10 September, 2026
The proposed EU Public Procurement Act: does it live up to expectations?
The European Commission’s latest proposal for an EU Public Procurement Act takes important steps forward on human rights, but its impact on workers and communities will ultimately depend on the extent to which human rights due diligence is embedded in the final legislation. Without it, taxpayers’ money may still be fueling well-documented human rights violations in public sector supply chains, while weakening the competitive edge that responsible business conduct can give EU companies over their non-EU counterpart...
