Business, Human Rights and the Environment

In this episode of the 'Perspectives on the Omnibus Proposal' series from the NOVA BHRE podcast, Claire Bright speaks with Kristel Tonstad, Policy Director at the Norwegian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, and Daniel Schönfelder, Legal Advisor at the Responsible Contracting Project and expert in Business and Human Rights. Together, they explore key lessons from the German and Norwegian due diligence laws. Daniel reflects on the strengths of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, while also highlighting areas where future policymakers could build on and improve the German model. Kristel examines the Norwegian Transparency Act, emphasising its positive impact on corporate behaviour, particularly through its risk-based approach to due diligence. The episode concludes with both guests offering their views on whether the challenges identified in national frameworks have been addressed in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and presenting their recommendations—grounded in national experience—for the ongoing Omnibus Package discussions.

As companies operate in increasingly complex environments, engaging meaningfully with affected communities is no longer optional—it's essential. New legal frameworks, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), now require companies to identify affected communities, assess potential impacts, and take appropriate measures to prevent, mitigate, and remedy harm in line with applicable human rights standards like the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines.In this episode, we discuss the launch of a new practical guide on meaningful engagement with affected communities, published under the auspices of the UN Global Compact France/Pacte Mondial de l'ONU - Réseau France. Additionally, we share critical insights on how indigenous peoples view engagement, impact, and business responsibility, and why their perspectives must shape corporate practices moving forward.This episode features insights from Alancay Morales and Céline Da Graca Pires, two fieldwork experts, who emphasize the importance of meaningful engagement, trust-building, and respecting affected communities' rights, including Indigenous peoples' collective rights. The discussion is moderated by Luís Prata e Castro, Master Student and Research Associate at the Nova Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment. Join us as we delve into the importance of embracing a paradigm shift in the relationship between businesses and affected communities, and how practical tools like the new guide can enhance community engagement practices.

In this episode, Nicolas Bueno (Assistant Professor at UniDistance Suisse) and Cannelle Lavite (Director of the Business and Human Rights Program at ECCHR) discuss with Claire Bright the proposed changes to the enforcement mechanisms in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) under the Omnibus Proposal.

The focus? The implications of the Omnibus Proposal on public enforcement as well as on civil liability and access to justice. Together, they unpack how the removal of key provisions in the CSDDD could notably:

•⁠ ⁠Undermine legal certainty by watering down enforceability
•⁠ ⁠Weaken access to remedies for victims of corporate harm
•⁠ ⁠Shift responsibility to Member States, creating a fragmented enforcement landscape
•⁠ ⁠Exclude key stakeholders—such as trade unions and NGOs—from representing affected communities
•⁠ ⁠Ignore power imbalances in transnational litigation, especially without reversal of the burden of proof

They also explore the lessons learnt from existing laws, and notably the German Chain Due Diligence Act in terms of public enforcement. 

In this episode, Lise Smit (Business and Human Rights Adviser at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP) and Robert McCorquodale (Member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights), join Claire Bright (Founder and Director of the NOVA BHRE) to discuss what do the latest proposed changes in the Omnibus Package mean for corporate accountability in the EU.

In particular, they dive into ⁠Reduced scope of the CSRD and CSDDD, ⁠Narrower due diligence thresholds, limitations for companies <500 employees ,and shift of civil liability to Member States.

Neste episódio do nosso podcast, abordamos um tema essencial e atual: Os Planos de Ação Nacional sobre Empresas e Direitos Humanos no Brasil.

Exploramos o desenvolvimento e a implementação desses planos, o seu papel no fortalecimento da responsabilidade corporativa e os principais desafios enfrentados. Além disso, trazemos um panorama sobre o estado atual dos Planos de Ação Nacional em nível global, com especial atenção à América Latina.

Este episódio conta com a participação de Muriele Boscatto, Doutora em Direito Público e pós-doutoranda na Université Panthéon 1 - Sorbonne e UNISINOS; de Jânia Saldanha, especialista em Direito Internacional Público e coordenadora do CCultis; e de Pedro Witschoreck, doutorando na UNISINOS e bolseiro de doutoramento sanduíche na Universidade NOVA de Lisboa - NOVA School of Law, que será o entrevistador. A discussão é moderada por Luís Prata Castro, Research Associate do Nova Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment.

In this podcast, Heidi Hautala  (Former Vice-President of the European Parliament) and Richard Gardiner (Strategic Public Policy Lead at the World Benchmarking Alliance), in conversation with Claire Bright (Founder and Director of the NOVA BHRE), share their perspectives on the European Commission's Omnibus Proposal released on the 26th of February 2025. They warn against the lack of transparency, consultation and academic research throughout the process leading to the Omnibus Proposal and its misalignment with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct, which form the global norms of reference in the field. The podcast was coordinated by two of our Master students and Research Associates of the NOVA BHRE, Luís Prata Castro and Ana Santos Duarte. 

In this new podcast episode, we welcome Maria Folque (Maria is a social innovation expert and a partner and member of the advisory board of Class of Wonders), Ângela Lucas (Founding Partner, and board member and executive director of the sustainable investment Fund, the LAND Fund), and Rita Rendeiro (Partner at law firm CCSL Advogados, where she heads the finance, regulatory and Sustainability practice) to discuss Corporate Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence, and the challenges and opportunities arising from transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) published in the Journal of the European Union on July 5 2024, taking into account possible synergies with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), previously approved in 2022 and how could maximizing alignment to International standards could be ensured. The podcast is coordinated by our Master student and Research Associate of the NOVA BHRE, Luís Prata Castro, and the interview is conducted by Maria Folque.

Useful Sources:

https://www.undp.org/rolhr/publications/practical-tool-business-human-rights-due-diligence-and-environment-hrdde

In this new podcast episode, we discuss a key area of concern for international companies operating in the garment and agricultural sectors which is the prevalent use of piece rate payment systems. This episode counts with the participation of Grace Camara and Pallavi Sharma, senior legal advisors at Beyond Human Rights Compliance, which is an international legal consultancy specialised in the implementation of human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct. As piece rate payment systems have been strongly linked to labour violations, our speakers, Grace and Pallavi, provide some practical steps that international companies can take to protect workers from these types of wage violations. This episode was conducted by our Research Assistant and undergraduate student at NOVA School of Law, Matilde Carreira.

Neste episódio do nosso podcast abordamos as Diretrizes da OCDE para as Empresas Multinacionais e o respetivo papel do Ponto de Contacto Nacional Português (PCN PT) para Conduta Empresarial Responsável. A composição, papel e atividades desenvolvidas do PT PCN são discutidas, tal como as alterações e impactos da atualização de 2023 das Diretrizes da OCDE. A gestão de instância específicas é também referida, enquanto papel central do PCN PT. A intensificação das atividades do PCN PT aliado a um maior envolvimento com os stakeholders são fatores-chave para promover e apoiar as empresas portuguesas na adoção de uma conduta empresarial responsável e permitem antecipar as futuras obrigações legislativas em matéria de conduta empresarial responsável.