Preamble 11 to 20.
(11) By way of Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Union also legally committed to becoming climate-neutral by 2050 and to reducing emissions by at least 55 % by 2030. Both these commitments require changing the way in which companies produce and procure.
The Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the communication of the Commission of 17 September 2020 on ‘Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition Investing in a climate-neutral future for the benefit of our people’ (2030 Climate Target Plan) models various degrees of emission reductions required from different economic sectors, though all need to see considerable reductions under all scenarios for the Union to meet its climate objectives. That plan also underlines that ‘changes in corporate governance rules and practices, including on sustainable finance, will make company owners and managers prioritise sustainability objectives in their actions and strategies’.
The communication of the Commission on the European Green Deal sets out that all Union actions and policies should pull together to help the Union achieve a successful and just transition towards a sustainable future. It also sets out that sustainability should be further embedded into the corporate governance framework.
The framework for Union action in the field of the environment and climate set out in Decision (EU) 2022/591 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5), aims to accelerate the green transition to a climate-neutral, sustainable, non-toxic, resource-efficient, renewable energy-based, resilient and competitive circular economy in a just, equitable and inclusive way, and to protect, restore and improve the state of the environment by, inter alia, halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
(12) According to the communication of the Commission of 24 February 2021 on Forging a climate-resilient Europe presenting the Union Strategy on Adaptation to climate change, new investment and policy decisions should be climate-informed and future-proof, including for larger businesses managing value chains.
This Directive should be consistent with that strategy. Similarly, there should be consistency with Directive (EU) 2024/1619 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which sets out clear requirements for banks’ governance rules including knowledge about environmental, social and governance risks at board of directors level.
(13) The communication of the Commission of 11 March 2020 on A new Circular Economy Action Plan For a cleaner and more competitive Europe (Action Plan on a Circular Economy), the communication of the Commission of 20 March 2020 on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives (Biodiversity strategy), the communication of the Commission of 20 March 2020 on A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (Farm to Fork strategy) and the communication of the Commission of 14 October 2020 on the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Towards a Toxic-Free Environment (Chemicals strategy), the communication of the Commission of 12 May 2021 on the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil, the communication of the Commission of 5 May 2021 on Updating the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery, the Commission approach referred to as Industry 5.0, the communication of the Commission of 4 March 2021 on the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the communication of the Commission of 18 February 2021 on Trade Policy Review: An Open, Sustainable and Assertive Trade Policy list an initiative on sustainable corporate governance among their elements. Due diligence requirements under this Directive should contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil, of creating a toxic-free environment and of protecting the health and well-being of people, animals and ecosystems from environment-related risks and negative impacts.
(14) This Directive is consistent with the joint communication of the Commission on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024. That action plan defines as a priority strengthening the Union’s engagement to actively promote the global implementation of the UN Guiding Principles and other relevant international guidelines such as the MNE Guidelines, including by advancing relevant due diligence standards.
(15) The European Parliament, in its resolution of 10 March 2021 with recommendations to the Commission on corporate due diligence and corporate accountability, calls upon the Commission to propose Union-level rules for comprehensive corporate due diligence obligations, with consequences including civil liability for those companies that cause or jointly cause harm by failing to carry out due diligence.
The Council Conclusions of 1 December 2020 on Human Rights and Decent Work in Global Supply Chains called upon the Commission to table a proposal for a Union legal framework on sustainable corporate governance, including cross-sector corporate due diligence obligations along global supply chains. The European Parliament also calls for clarifying directors’ duties in its own initiative report of 2 December 2020 on sustainable corporate governance. In their Joint Declaration on EU Legislative Priorities for 2022 of 21 December 2021, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Commission have committed, to deliver on an economy that works for people, and to improve the regulatory framework on sustainable corporate governance.
(16) This Directive aims to ensure that companies active in the internal market contribute to sustainable development and the sustainability transition of economies and societies through the identification, and where necessary, prioritisation, prevention and mitigation, bringing to an end, minimisation and remediation of actual or potential adverse human rights and environmental impacts connected with companies’ own operations, operations of their subsidiaries and of their business partners in the chains of activities of the companies, and ensuring that those affected by a failure to respect this duty have access to justice and legal remedies. This Directive is without prejudice to the responsibility of Member States to respect and protect human rights and the environment under international law.
(17) This Directive is without prejudice to obligations in the areas of human, employment and social rights, protection of the environment and climate change under other Union legislative acts. If the provisions of this Directive conflict with provisions of another Union legislative act pursuing the same objectives and providing for more extensive or more specific obligations, the provisions of the other Union legislative act should prevail to the extent of the conflict and should apply to those specific obligations. Examples of such obligations in Union legislative acts include the obligations set out in Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
(18) This Directive does not apply to pension institutions operating social security systems under Union law. Where a Member State has chosen not to apply Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council in whole or in part to an institution for occupational retirement provision in accordance with Article 5 of that Directive, this Directive does not apply to those institutions for occupational retirement provision.
(19) Companies should take appropriate steps to set up and carry out due diligence measures, with respect to their own operations, those of their subsidiaries, as well as those of their direct and indirect business partners throughout their chains of activities in accordance with this Directive. This Directive should not require companies to guarantee, in all circumstances, that adverse impacts will never occur or that they will be stopped. For example, with respect to business partners, where the adverse impact results from State intervention, the company might not be in a position to arrive at such results. Therefore, the main obligations in this Directive should be obligations of means.
The company should take appropriate measures which are capable of achieving the objectives of due diligence by effectively addressing adverse impacts, in a manner commensurate to the degree of severity and the likelihood of the adverse impact. Account should be taken of the circumstances of the specific case, the nature and extent of the adverse impact and relevant risk factors, including, in preventing and minimising adverse impacts, the specificities of the company’s business operations and its chain of activities, sector or geographical area in which its business partners operate, the company’s power to influence its direct and indirect business partners, and whether the company could increase its power of influence.
(20) The due diligence process set out in this Directive should cover the six steps defined by the Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct, which include due diligence measures for companies to identify and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts. That process encompasses the following steps:
(1) integrating due diligence into policies and management systems;
(2) identifying and assessing adverse human rights and environmental impacts;
(3) preventing, ceasing or minimising actual and potential adverse human rights and environmental impacts;
(4) monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of measures;
(5) communicating and
(6) providing remediation.
Note: This is the final text of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), published in the Official Journal of the European Union in July 2024.