News
The IRBC Agreement for the metals sector commences a collective project to address labour rights violations and health and safety risks in the mining industry in Bolivia and Peru. Project leader CNV Internationaal works on this together with Tata Steel Nederland and Wuppermann Staal Nederland. The project has a duration of two years.
The SER will host a side session of the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector on 13 February 2023. In an online session, members of the former Dutch Agreement on Garments and Textiles who are experts on sectoral collaboration, will share their insights on how negotiated sector agreements create an optimal environment for companies to establish and/or strengthen their due diligence systems.
In the light of the climate emergency and increased geopolitical tensions, the energy transition becomes increasingly important. At the same time, the renewable energy value chain is associated with risks and impacts for people and the environment. The SER and the Danish Institute for Human Rights organised a webinar about this topic on 7 September. The recording is now available.
On 22 September, 2022, the signatories and other stakeholders to the IRBC agreement for the Floricultural Sector reflected on three years of collaboration. The activities, recommendations and perspectives on a sustainable development of the sector are summarized in a final report.
For over a year, representatives of the former Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile have worked hard with the Ethical Trading Initiative, Fair Wear Foundation and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles to define responsible purchasing practices. This has led to a Common Purchasing Practices Framework. Purchasing practices are an important factor for positive impact at production sites.
Recently, the webinar ‘Successful Responsible Business Conduct: key elements for business leaders’ took place. Various speakers shared their success factors for setting up an effective due diligence system. A recording of the webinar is now available as well as the presentations and the Q & A list.
The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) has taken significant steps towards a sustainable garment and textile sector. This was the conclusion of the final evaluation of the agreement, which ended on 31 December 2021. Under the agreement, companies received advice, tools and training to help them set up and implement their policy. The aim was to analyse risks, improve working conditions, prevent pollution and promote animal welfare in production countries. Achieving substantial improvements in the garment and textile supply chain will require time and effort beyond the agreement period, however.
The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles have jointly released a report with insights from buyer and supplier feedback. In Spring 2021 feedback was collected through purchasing practices surveys by 48 participating companies, receiving insights from 954 brand employees and 445 suppliers. The report sums up key takeaways, learnings and recommendations from this huge dataset.
The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile has been concluded after five and a half years with a successful, interactive meeting. A series of speakers from companies, social organizations and government looked back and forward to the future, together with the guests. The added value of collaboration within the sector was considered a key element.
The written standards regarding responsible business conduct of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile and their implementation are largely in line with the OECD Guidelines. This is apparent from an extensive analysis conducted by the OECD.