News International Responsible Business Conduct

By joining the UN Global Compact Network Netherlands, the Social Economic Council (SER) supports the goal of this organization to promote international responsible business conduct (IRBC). The SER also contributes its knowledge and experience in the area of IRBC, benefiting the networks of both organizations.

In a world increasingly focused on sustainability, consumers and businesses alike are seeking reliable information about the environmental impact of products and services. To address concerns related to "greenwashing" and misleading environmental claims, the European Commission has put forth a proposal for a Directive on Green Claims. Is your company ready for the new rules? In this article we answer a number of frequently asked questions.

The negotiations between business, trade unions and NGOs on a new sectoral agreement for responsible supply chains in the garments and textile sector have closed because the parties could not agree on the scope of the possible agreement.

Solar and wind energy companies, industry associations, the Dutch government, knowledge institutions, NGOs and trade unions will jointly commit themselves to making international value chains more sustainable. The parties have made agreements in the field of international responsible business (international RBC) in the new International RBC Agreement for the Renewable Energy Sector, which was signed today. The aim of the agreement is to jointly tackle and prevent risks in the field of human rights violations and environmental damage through cooperation.

The SER has released a draft Concept for meaningful stakeholder dialogue. This working document offers companies concrete insights for conducting a meaningful dialogue with their stakeholders, as required by the OECD guidelines, among others. Conducting a meaningful dialogue is a major challenge for many companies. The Concept is based on extensive literature and case study research and includes input from experts from industry and other organisations. Companies are invited to experiment with the Concept and share their experiences and feedback.