This piece first appeared in Thomson Reuters Foundation on 8 September 2020

This blog is part of a series 'Towards Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence'.

As the COVID-19 crisis has brought into stark relief, too many companies still place profit above people and planet – passing the buck at devastating cost to millions of workers and communities around the world. But there are signs this could change.

Last week, 26 companies, business associations, and initiatives made a joint call for EU wide regulation that would mandate all companies to respect human rights and the environment. It is the first pan-European, international as well as cross-sectoral business statement to call for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence...