Sustainability and corporate social responsibility

Business plays a key role in the development of society, not the least in offering jobs, but also in providing innovative solutions to major societal and environmental challenges, such as sustainable transport, eco-efficient products, promoting a healthy lifestyle or diversity at the workplace, often working together with stakeholders.

The broad ownership and development of sustainability and CSR amongst European companies continues to flourish.

Competitiveness and sustainability are not in opposition. In fact, there is evidence that where EU companies are relatively advanced in this field, they can have easier access to finance, and/or this can be a competitive advantage for them on international markets.

Europe must approach sustainability and CSR policies in line with its need to remain globally competitive, including in the implementation of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. It should be about encouraging and supporting sustainability in a partnership approach with companies and the relevant stakeholders. Policy intervention should focus on areas where it is needed and can effectively bring added value.

The key challenge for EU CSR policy is ensuring that it promotes further voluntary uptake and development of CSR by companies, whilst allowing them the flexibility to continue to shape their own CSR approach according to their specific circumstances and the needs of their stakeholders.

Publications

Position papers		Date
	Towards EU due diligence rules that work for all - Joint trade association statement	05/11/2024
	EU sustainable finance - BusinessEurope priorities for 2024-2029	10/07/2024
	Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR) - European Commission consultation - a BusinessEurope position paper	20/12/2023
	Draft act on European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) - BusinessEurope assessment for the public consultation	07/07/2023
	Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) - Joint business statement	25/05/2023
	Taxonomy Environmental Delegated Act and revised Climate Delegated Act - BusinessEurope comments in reply to the public consultation	04/05/2023
	EFRAG Sustainability Reporting Board Consultation - BusinessEurope response to Survey 2 (Surveys 3A - 3D)	22/07/2022
	EFRAG Sustainability Reporting Board Consultation - BusinessEurope response to Survey 1 (Survey 1A - 1C, 2)	22/07/2022
	Roadmap for the next decade - Building blocks for realizing UNGPs implementation toward 2030 - Input from the IOE, BIAC and BUSINESSEUROPE	20/09/2021
	Corporate sustainability reporting directive - a BusinessEurope position paper	14/07/2021
	Taxonomy disclosure obligations - Draft Art. 8 Delegated Act - BusinessEurope reply to the public consultation	02/06/2021
	Potential extension of the taxonomy regulation to social aspects - a BusinessEurope position paper	21/05/2021
	Reporting requirements under the Taxonomy Regulation (Art.8) - BusinessEurope comments	22/02/2021
	Sustainability reporting - BusinessEurope reply to the IFRS Foundation Trustees consultation paper	20/01/2021
	Second revised binding treaty on business and human rights - Joint paper of the IOE, BIAC and BUSINESSEUROPE	07/10/2020
	Revision of the non-financial reporting directive - BusinessEurope's response to the public consultation	05/06/2020
	Joint business response to the revised Draft legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises ("Revised Draft Treaty")	11/10/2019
	Joint business response to the Zero Draft legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises ("Zero Draft Treaty")	18/10/2018

Press releases		Date
	EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive: BusinessEurope reacts to the Council adoption	24/05/2024
	Agreement on EU due diligence: still far from a workable solution	15/03/2024
	EU due diligence could leave companies between a rock and a hard place	12/12/2023
	EU’s due diligence rules must be workable for companies and must not weaken the internal market	07/09/2023
	EP vote on the corporate sustainability due diligence directive: The European Parliament failed to deliver workable due diligence rules	01/06/2023

Public letters		Date
	Taxonomy Complementary Delegated Act on gas and nuclear activities - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Members of the European Parliament	23/06/2022
	Consultation of business organisations on an EU comprehensive framework for business and human rights - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to the European External Action Service (EEAS)	01/06/2022
	Taxonomy reporting - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Mairead McGuinness	06/12/2021
	Taxonomy Regulation Article 8 Delegated Act - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Peter Power	30/06/2021
	Climate-related aspects in the non-binding guidelines on non-financial reporting - Letter from Rebekah Smith to Alain Deckers, DG FISMA	22/05/2019