What role do audits and certifications play in the implementation of corporate due diligence? This question was addressed at a virtual roundtable on November 25, 2024 with representatives of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK Wien). The event was hosted by the association for global development ICEP (Inspiring Cooperation Empowering People) and the Austrian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct. The latter is located in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW) and is responsible for driving forward the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.

Our colleagues Camilla Haake and Stephen Rabenlehner gave an input presentation on ‘Audits and certifications in the context of human rights and environmental due diligence’. They were able to give the interested audience insights into their current research project on the topic of ‘Audits and certifications in supply/value chains’. The starting point of the project is the due diligence obligations for large companies with regard to their impact on the environment and human rights, which have now been established at the level of the European Union (EU) by the new “Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive” (also known as CSDDD).

The questions asked by the audience and lively discussions held made it clear that there is a need for dialogue on this topic. The following questions were discussed, among others:

• Do sustainability-related regulations put European companies at a disadvantage in the global market?
• What role can employee representatives play in the preparation and review of non-financial reports?
• For what reasons can companies make use of audits and certifications as a (voluntary) tool to support the compliance with their human rights and environmental due diligence, especially under the CSDDD?
• Is an indirect (additional) burden to be expected for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
• How can SMEs be supported in fulfilling human rights and environmental due diligence, as already required by the CSDDD for large companies?