LUSBHR Corporate Responsibility Conference: Topical issues on fundamental rights and sustainability
On Friday afternoon 15 November 2024, the Leiden University Sustainability, Business and Human Rights Network and Discussion Group (LUSBHR) organised the Corporate Responsibility Conference: Topical issues on fundamental rights and sustainability. The afternoon was spent considering corporate social responsibility from various perspectives.
Paul van der Heijden, professor emeritus International Labour Law, began the afternoon by setting out the various initiatives on sustainability, ranging from voluntary codes to actual legislation. Next, Wilbert Flinterman, Senior Advisor on Workers’ Rights and Trade Union Relations at Fairtrade, focused on the effects of sustainability legislation on the value chain, particularly in small-scale farming. Harold Koster, Professor of Business Law at Leiden University, and Lotte Gunneweg, PhD candidate in business law at Leiden University, discussed parent company liability in relation to environmental harm. Next up was Davine Roessingh, a lawyer and partner at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, who examined the duty of due care arising from the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Finally, Ilan Vuddamalay, Senior Programme Manager Labour Rights at the Laudes Foundation, explained how philanthropy can contribute to a fairer, more sustainable and inclusive economy.
The afternoon closed with a panel debate chaired by Dr Chris van Oostrum (company law) and Dr Yvonne Erkens (labour law). Topics discussed included whether the corporate sector in the Netherlands is prepared for the future sustainability regulations and what the consequences will be for small to medium-sized businesses.
We look back on a successful afternoon. The audience representing academia and the legal profession had more than enough to discuss when considering the important challenges that must be faced together.
More information on LUSBHR (in Dutch)