In this interactive webinar, Dr. Chris Bayer and Juan Ibanez from Development International will present the highlights of their new study on the French law Devoir de Vigilance (DdV). Enacted in March 2017, DdV establishes a duty to implement a vigilance plan for companies registered in French territory with more than 5,000 employees in France or more than 10,000 employees worldwide. In addition, Dr. Claire Bright, Assistant Professor in Private Law at the Nova School of Law in Lisbon, will discuss the relevance of the DdV for the current legislative developments at the EU level concerning mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence, as well as the significance of the study in this respect.
Language:
English
Duration:
1 hour (including Q&A period)
Date:
Thursday, October 15, 2020, 11 AM-12 PM CEST
Register for the webinar here.
Background information
The uniquely progressive French law Devoir de Vigilance bestows upon companies a duty to implement a vigilance plan and take measures to identify and prevent adverse impacts. A vigilance plan must cover risks of severe violations to human rights and fundamental freedoms, serious bodily injury, health risks, and environmental damage resulting from the direct or indirect activity of the firm.
The findings of the new independent study, carried out by Development InternationaI and funded by iPoint, are based on the raw data of the subject companies’ vigilance plans. They were assessed by applying 42 KPIs and 14 qualitative indicators, comprising three rubrics: (1) compliance with the law, (2) conformance to the UN Guiding Principles (UNGP), and (3) disclosure transparency. The firm that received the highest legal compliance score was Kering (100%). Korian (64%) was the top scorer vis-a-vis the UNGP. Michelin obtained the highest transparency score (100%).
Download the full report, entitled “Devoir de Vigilance: Reforming Corporate Risk Engagement,” from this website.