Economy & Responsibility
Since its inception, the Foundation has been addressing responsible conduct in an economic context through practice-oriented projects, examining the role not only of businesses but also of the state and society.
Alongside sector-specific Ethical Risk Assessments, the Foundation’s work focuses on regulatory implications. A judicious interplay between voluntary initiatives and binding legal frameworks is therefore required in order to effectively address human and labour rights, as well as environmental risks, within global value chains.
Identifying and embedding levers for change
Through its collaboration with companies, non-governmental organisations and political actors, the Foundation identifies potential levers for change and determines what measures should be taken. For instance, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which the Foundation has strongly championed, is merely one building block that must be underpinned by national and international instruments.
On the concrete possibilities and limitations of corporate responsibility
The Foundation considers concrete action at the corporate level to be crucial. Identifying the possibilities and limitations of corporate responsibility is particularly important to us in order not to lose sight of the objective: minimising human rights violations in value chains.
A key focus of the Foundation’s work is to monitor and reflect on the implementation of the national Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which was passed in 2021.