The Corporate Justice Coalition welcomes the recent announcement that the UK Government is reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct – but warns that essential criteria must be met if it is to lead to action that will create meaningful outcomes for people and the planet.
Click here to read the joint statement.
As part of its new Trade Strategy, launched on 26 June 2025, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has announced that it will be reviewing the UK’s approach to ensuring responsible business conduct in global supply chains.
In response, this joint statement, signed by 19 Coalition members, urges the Government to ensure that this review is thorough open and meaningful and that it gives full consideration to their proposal for a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act – a comprehensive mHREDD law requiring companies to identify and prevent human rights abuses, labour rights violations, and environmental damage in their operations and supply chains.
In particular, the joint statement outlines six key criteria for a meaningful review:
- Fully consider the need for new legislation: Explore the need for robust, enforceable legislation to support responsible UK businesses and ensure alignment with international standards.
- A holistic approach to RBC: Ensure human rights, labour rights, and environmental harms are recognised as interconnected aspects of responsible business conduct, and address the full value chain including upstream, downstream, international and domestic impacts.
- Attention to access to Remedy: Address the current lack of effective redress mechanisms for victims of corporate abuse.
- Cross-Government Collaboration: Ensure coordinated input from all relevant departments to avoid piecemeal policy and improve regulatory coherence.
- Inclusive Engagement: Hold a full public consultation that enables meaningful input from all affected rightsholders.
- Transparency and Urgency: Publish a clear timeline and process for the review to ensure accountability.
“This review is a crucial opportunity to properly assess the best way to encourage and support responsible business conduct and protect families, workers and the environment from corporate abuse. However, it is essential that the processes used for the review are fully transparent; that all affected rightsholders are consulted; and that there is full consideration of our widely supported proposal for a holistic, mandatory and enforceable law that ensures access to remedy and aligns with international standards.” – Dominique Muller, Director, Corporate Justice Coalition.
Click the link here or below to read the full statement.
