In November 2021, the Dutch government announced plans to introduce a national human rights due diligence legislation. While this legislation is still under construction, six Dutch political parties submitted a bill on responsible and sustainable business conduct to the Tweede Kamer.

At the same time, two directives at the EU level, one on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and the other on Corporate Sustainability Reporting, are being prepared. Financial institutions have already been subject to strict sustainability regulation such as those required under the EU Taxonomy. Additionally, several national laws, are adding another layer of pressure on lenders and portfolio companies to comply with ESG regulations.

Whatever the legal obligations will look like in detail, it is certain that the Dutch legislation will have extensive overlaps with existing national due diligence legislation in other EU countries.

In this Ask the Experts session, Liesbeth Unger and Markus Löning will discuss these regulations and what Dutch companies can learn from their German counterparts. Furthermore, Dylan McNeill, Director for Sustainable Supply Chains and Human Rights at Philips will explain how Philips has started implementing human rights due diligence processes.

The second half of this 45-minute Ask the Experts session will be dedicated to questions from the audience.

You will also learn about:
1. What is to be expected under the Dutch corporate sustainability due diligence legislation?
2. What should be considered when starting the human rights due diligence process?
3. How are companies implementing the German Supply Chain Act?
4. Which mistakes should be avoided looking at the German experience?

Duration: 45 minutes
Format: 25 minutes of discussion followed by a 20-minute Q&A session
Date/Time: Thursday, 8 December 2022 at 11.30 CET

* Disclaimer: The contents of this virtual event do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information purposes.