About

About the campaign

The European Union says it wants to protect human rights and lead the way to a sustainable future.

But after decades of European companies exploiting workers, destroying natural habitats, displacing communities from their homes, driving carbon emissions and chopping down trees for corporate profit  – and with corporate lobbyists working hard behind the scenes to make sure nothing changes – you’d forgive us for being sceptical.

People and the planet have paid the price of crooked corporations for too long. And quite frankly, we’re over it.

A fairer world is just around the corner: one where business respects the rights of workers and the lives and livelihoods of communities, elevates producers out of poverty and allows the planet to thrive. One where people around the world can get justice if they have been harmed by bad business.

With rules to hold businesses accountable, the products we need will no longer be tainted by suffering and destruction.

In early 2022, the EU proposed a law to turn corporate accountability into a reality. But this is just the first step to cleaning up supply chains built on exploitation.

We need your help now to stand up against corporate lobbyist attempts to water down the proposal.

We must defend rules that really make business more just. Rules that work for you, us, and the planet we depend on. Because Justice is Everybody’s Business.

Our Demands

We demand a due diligence law that:

1.
Makes companies respect human rights, the environment and the climate.
2.
Puts strict, no-nonsense obligations on companies to prevent and end harm.
3.
Holds parent companies responsible in court for harm that happens anywhere in their supply chain. No loopholes!
4.
Guarantees collective bargaining by trade unions and gives workers’ representatives a real say in due diligence, every step of the way.
5.
Tackles the climate crisis by making companies slash emissions throughout their value chains.
6.
Protects the planet by holding companies accountable for all possible harms to the environment.
7.
Applies due diligence requirements to all business relationships along their value chains.
8.
Empowers people harmed by bad business practices, trade unions, and civil society to get justice in EU courts.
9.
Consults everyone who is, or may be affected by business activities, and obtains consent when needed.
10.
Gives enforcement agencies the power to thoroughly investigate and sanction companies.

About our coalition

We are a large number of civil society and trade union organisations from around Europe and beyond. We are launching the Justice is Everybody’s Business campaign because we believe people power is crucial for meaningful change.

In 2021, trade unions and NGOs mobilised hundreds of thousands of people to respond to the EU’s consultation on a draft corporate sustainability law. Now the proposal is out – but it’s riddled with loopholes. It’s time to raise our collective voices again and show that we won’t accept half measures when it comes to justice.

Our steering group
CIDSE
ECCHR – European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights
European Coalition for Corporate Justice
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
Forum Citoyen pour la Responsabilité Sociale des Entreprises
Friends of the Earth Europe
Supporting Organisations
ABColombia
Accountability Counsel
ACT Alliance EU
ActionAid France
ActionAid International
ActionAid Netherlands
AK EUROPA
Amis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France
Amnesty International
Anti-Slavery International
Association Léo Lagrange pour la Défense des Consommateurs
Attac France
Austrian Trade Union Federation
BankTrack
BLOOM
Broederlijk Delen
Brot für die Welt
BUNDjugend / Young Friends of the Earth Germany
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Campagna Abiti Puliti
CCFD-Terre Solidaire
Centar za politike emancipacije / Centre for the politics of emancipation
Christian Aid Ireland
Clean Clothes Campaign European Coalition
Climate Action Network Europe
CNCD-11.11.11
Collectif Ethique sur l’étiquette
CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmens- verantwortung
Corporate Europe Observatory
Corporate Justice Coalition UK
Dreikönigsaktion – Hilfswerk der Katholischen Jungschar
Earthsight
Entraide et Fraternité
Eurocadres | Council of European Managers and Professionals
European Environmental Bureau
Fair Finance International
Fair Trade Advocacy Office
FAIRstrickt – Bündnis für faire Textilien, Menschenrechte und Klimagerechtigkeit
Fairtrade International
FAIRTRADE Österreich
Fashion Revolution
Fédération Artisans du Monde
FEMNET e.V.
FIAN Belgium
FIAN Deutschland
FIDH
Finnish Development NGOs Fingo
Finnwatch
Focus Association for Sustainable Development
ForumCiv
France Amérique latine
Frank Bold Society
Freedom United
Friends of the Earth Netherlands
Fundación Libera contra la Trata de Personas y la Esclavitud en Todas sus Formas
Fundacja Kupuj Odpowiedzialnie
GLAN (Global Legal Action Network)
GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria
Global Witness
Human Rights Watch
Impresa2030. Diamoci una regolata
Inclusive Development International
Initiative Lieferkettengesetz
Initiative pour un devoir de vigilance
INKOTA
International Federation for the Economy for the Common Good
International Service for Human Rights
Irish Coalition for Business & Human Rights
Jordens Vänner/Friends of the Earth Sweden
Kampagne für Saubere Kleidung (CCC Germany)
KIOS Foundation
La Strada International
Les Amis de la Terre – Belgique (Friends of the Earth Wallonia)
Ligue des droits de l’Homme
Mai Bine
MANI TESE
Max Havelaar France
Minerva Business and Human Rights Association
MVO Platform
Naturefriends International
NeSoVe (Network Social Responsibility)
NOAH – Friends of the Earth Denmark
Notre Affaire à Tous
Observatorio de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa
Open Society Foundations
Our Food. Our Future
PowerShift
PRODESC
Protection International
Ritimo
Sherpa
Südwind, Austria
SumOfUs
Supply Chain Justice
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
Swedwatch
Thinking Threads
Transnational Institute
Trócaire
UNI Europa – the European services workers union
Vredesactie
WeMove Europe
WeWorld
World Economy, Ecology & Development – WEED
World Fair Trade Organization
WSM
Zavod za pravično trgovino, 3MUHE
ZERO – Association for the Sustainability of the Earth System
Join the Campaign

Are you an organisation that wants to get involved in the campaign? Want to find out more about what we’re doing? Get in touch!

Sign up form info@justice-business.org