In global value chains, sustainability is currently largely voluntary. This means that we have to accept that the products we use are manufactured under conditions in which people are exploited and environmental damage occurs. In addition, it places those companies that, in order to meet a higher level of corporate responsibility on a global scale, bear higher costs and effort at a competitive disadvantage. In order to ensure that a majority of companies recognize and assume holistic responsibility in their supply chains, we need legal regulation. These laws should be integrated into each country’s national legal frameworks to ensure enforceability.

Antje von Dewitz, Managing Director