Why the EU needs to act to ensure companies are not harming people and planet

The document calls for the European Commission to move beyond voluntary guidelines and implement robust, enforceable legislation to hold companies and financiers accountable for environmental destruction and human rights abuses, particularly in the context of large-scale projects causing deforestation and land grabbing.

• Global Witness argues that voluntary guidelines and standards have been ineffective in creating the necessary changes in corporate behavior, and there is now a consensus among civil society and a majority of businesses in favor of enforceable EU regulatory action.
• Companies and financial institutions are frequently linked to large-scale projects that cause land grabbing, deforestation, and human rights violations, with environmental defenders facing extreme violence; in 2018, over three defenders were killed per week.
• Global Witness urges the European Commission to establish mandatory due diligence obligations across all sectors for companies operating in the EU, which should include sanctions and access to remedy for victims.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Why the EU needs to act to ensure companies are not harming people and planet. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/why-the-eu-needs-to-act-to-ensure-companies-are-not-harming-people-and-planet/

Chicago

Global Witness. Why the EU needs to act to ensure companies are not harming people and planet. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/why-the-eu-needs-to-act-to-ensure-companies-are-not-harming-people-and-planet/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Why the EU needs to act to ensure companies are not harming people and planet |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/why-the-eu-needs-to-act-to-ensure-companies-are-not-harming-people-and-planet/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndwhy, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Why the EU needs to act to ensure companies are not harming people and planet}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/why-the-eu-needs-to-act-to-ensure-companies-are-not-harming-people-and-planet/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }