The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) has been adopted by the EU and will start applying for companies in 2027. It primarily applies to large companies but will also indirectly affect smaller businesses. This course covers the directive's eight fundamental requirements, the types of companies it applies to, and the issues it addresses. We explore all stages of the due diligence process, from identifying and prioritising potential and actual impacts to implementing preventive measures and what to do when harm has occurred. You will also gain insight into how the state will oversee companies' compliance and what the sanctions are for non-compliance.

The course covers:

• Which human rights, climate, and environmental issues are included in CSDDD, and how responsibility is meant to be spread across the value chain.
• All steps in the due diligence process – identifying negative impacts, preventing and minimising them, addressing and ceasing harm, determining when to terminate collaborations, remediation, and incorporating sustainability into risk management processes and policies.
• How you can work with “meaningful” stakeholder dialogue, complaints processes, and notification mechanisms.
• What the CSDDD says about contracts, audits (internal and external), risk analysis, certification, and collaboration with others.
• How smaller companies doing business with larger companies will be affected by the law.
• What sanctions may be imposed for non-compliance and how companies can be held accountable in court.
• Connections between CSRD/ESRS reporting and CSDDD.

The course is directed at:

• Decision-makers and specialists in sustainability, HR, compliance, legal professionals, and those responsible for the supply chain.
• Companies subject to the
• Companies indirectly affected by the legislation.

A basic understanding of sustainability is necessary to benefit from the course content.

The goal of this course:

As a participant, you will gain:

• Knowledge of the legislation
• Skills to implement due diligence and comply with the 8 core requirements, which are summarized as:
  • Integration of due diligence into policies and risk management systems
  • Identification and prioritisation of impacts
  • Measures to cease and prevent adverse impacts
  • Remediation and compensation
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Notification- and grievance mechanisms
  • Monitoring
  • Communication and reporting

The course will mainly be conducted in Swedish.

Programme

09.00 Welcome and introduction

• Warm-up through discussion of a case in smaller groups
• Overview of the directive’s background, purpose, scope, and content

10.00 Policy and governance

• Policy requirements: Development of a due diligence (DD) policy and integration of DD into other organisational policies.
• Governance: How to integrate due diligence into governance systems and allocate responsibility within the company.
• Relevant Expertise: Identifying who within the organisation needs the necessary knowledge to implement due diligence, from executive management to line operations.

10.45 Coffee break

11.00 The Due Diligence process

• We go through all the steps in the DD process, from identification to handling impacts and when termination is required.
• Discussion, questions, and answers.

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Necessary tools

• Appropriate measures according to the directive.
• New requirements for contracts with suppliers and responsible purchasing.
• The role of audits and risk analysis.
• Collaboration with other actors, support for small and medium-sized companies.
• The last resort of terminating a business relationship or contract when no other measures work to stop the negative impact.

14.00 Meaningful engagement with stakeholders, complaints, and remediation

• How to handle complaints from stakeholders.
• Sharing information internally.
• Meaningful engagement with stakeholders.
• Collaboration with unions, civil society and other actors.
• Remediation when individuals or the environment have suffered harm, and the company was responsible.

14.45 Coffee break

15.00 Case – example

• Working with a short case in smaller groups
• Discussion

15.30 Communication and link to ESRS

• How to report on due diligence (DD) according to ESRS
• Connections between the CSRD and CSDDD legislations
• Good examples

16.00 Authority and government oversight

• New authority: mandate, tasks, role, what to expect
• Courts: how companies can be sued in court (under civil liability), criteria and likely initial developments

16.30 Concrete next steps

• How leading companies in Europe are preparing
• What your company should prioritize if it is covered by the directive
• What your company should do if you want to do business with companies covered by the directive

17.00 End of the course