Corporate sustainability has become an urgent priority as companies face growing pressure to address human rights violations and environmental degradation across their global operations. With issues such as child labor, forced labor, corporate-related pollution, and climate change at the forefront, the need for robust legal frameworks has never been more critical.
Claire Bright, a leading researcher at NOVA School of Law, has been addressing this need. Her research played a pivotal role in shaping the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which came into effect on July 25, 2024. The Directive requires large companies to identify and mitigate human rights and environmental impacts throughout their global value chains.
This research also laid the foundation for the creation of the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights, and the Environment (NOVA BHRE), which Claire coordinates. The Centre has had a tangible impact on policymaking, influencing legislation in Germany and Belgium and contributing to the first National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights in Portugal and Tunisia. Beyond influencing policy, NOVA BHRE fosters capacity-building through workshops and training sessions in Portugal, Mozambique, and Tunisia, equipping hundreds of companies, government officials, and civil society organizations with the tools to implement sustainable practices.
To learn more about NOVA BHRE’s work and initiatives, visit [NOVA BHRE’s website]
(This article was adapted from the Nova Research Impact Narratives initiative and the referred research has won an honourable mention in the Research Impact Narratives Challenge 2024).