Enact is proud to offer a comprehensive course series on human rights and environmental (sustainability) due diligence. The first five sessions (Basic Level) will focus on necessary components for being compliant with the due diligence-based EU legislations. The five sessions thereafter (Advanced Level) will focus on good practice that has evolved during the past 15 years across a variety of sectors and geographies.

Basic Level: Compliance with EU due diligence-based regulations

Advanced Level: Good practice and international standards

Omnibus update!

The training is updated to focus on compliance with different EU regulations that are based on due diligence. We have widened the compliance aspect to cover not only CSDDD and CSRD but other legislations too such as regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour, regulation on deforestation-free products, regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, and the Conflict Minerals Regulation. In this way the training is less reliant on the exact wording of CSDDD but still relevant from the perspective of required and core content.

"Even if already working on developing HRDD myself, I found the course very useful. It is extensive but at the same time a good way of condensating great info and insights in this field, plus the connection with CSDDD makes it even more robust and brings a new perspective to it."

"I now have a solid understanding of the CSDDD and its alignment with international frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles, OECD Guidelines, and international humanitarian law. I've learned about the Directive’s requirements for companies, including policy integration, risk assessments, impact management, and stakeholder engagement."

"This intensive course provided a comprehensive overview of the CSDDD and corporate due diligence practices."

Quotes from previous participants (2024)

Information about the course:
Duration: 10 online LIVE sessions carefully designed for your optimal learning. Each session lasts 3 hours and is designed through learning components:

• curated lectures by our experts,
• practical implementation,
• case examples
• group discussion and learning.

Recordings are available after the sessions for the duration of the training.

Target audience:

• Corporate sustainability, ESG or sustainability practitioners; in-house specialists within legal, compliance, risk, audit, non-financial reporting, human resources, procurement and alike.
• Professionals working within government, international organisations, NGOs, or unions.
• Unfortunately this course is not open for participants who are consultants, trainers or alike in the field.

Format - The 10 sessions are offered at two levels - Basic and Advanced:
The Basic sessions are all designed to focus on compliance with regulation. The Advanced level focuses on putting it into practice. While we recommend taking the sessions sequentially for a comprehensive learning experience, we understand that individual needs may vary. You have the flexibility to choose either the Basic or Advanced level based on your expertise and interests. Simply indicate your preferred level during registration. For best learning outcomes, we suggest that the participants prepare for each session. Whilst not compulsory for completion of the course, it will benefit the learning and insights of how to apply the frameworks into practice. The participants will also have a chance to pose questions for feedback by the course leaders and the other participants. Voluntary study-groups are assigned at the beginning of each course, and these may meet or self-organize outside of the course dates. At the end of each level, participants are invited to take a voluntary exam to check that they have understood the core content of the course. Participants are also welcomed to join a growing Enact Alumni training group on LinkedIn.

Certificate of attendance:
Upon completion of the course, participants that have attended or have watched 80 % of sessions will be awarded a diploma.

Cost:

• Cost for Basic level: 1000 € (excluding VAT)
• Cost for Advanced level: 1200 € (excluding VAT)
• Cost for both levels: 2000 € (excluding VAT)
• Register before September 10th get an early bird discount of 20%.
• Not-for-profit organisations and former participants are eligible for a 30 % discount (not cumulative with the early bird).
• Former participants are eligible to “upgrade” their training with the new modules at a cost of 500 € per level.
• Members of the Swedish Business and Human Rights Network get 1 seat free of charge and 50 % off for additional participants (early bird discounts do not apply).
• If your company is interested in joining the Swedish Network, contact may.hylander@enact.se

Registration:
You can register under "Booking" at the bottom of this page. The training will be conducted in English, in Zoom.

Spring dates: March – May 2025 (Morning hours 9.00-12.00 (CET/CEST)):
Basic: 5/3, 12/3, 19/3, 26/3, 2/4
Advanced: 9/4, 23/4, 29/4, 7/5, 14/5

See more details and the topics of each session under "Agenda" down below.

Basic level: Compliance with EU due diligence-based regulations

Session 1: Legal frameworks – from compliance to good practice

This session will explore the legal frameworks and look at the essential requirements for compliance. We will also look at how due diligence practice has emerged since 2011 when the concept of DD was introduced.

• Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive; French Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law; German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligation in Supply Chains; Norwegian Transparency Act; other DD regulations
• Core elements including scope, responsibility, liability and sanctions, causing harm, contributing to harm, contributing to harm, oversight
• Other legal developments in EU; inter alia Forced Labor Regulation, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, overview of specific EU legislation requiring due diligence
• International standards: UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Session 2: Governance, policy, codes

This session will explore what is required of corporate governance, steering documents, strategy and policies.

• Core requirements of human rights and DD policy, supporting policies, steering documents, Code of Conduct
• Expectations of Board and management
• Expectations of internal controls Compliance, Risk, Audit, Legal and Procurement

Session 3: The due diligence steps in the Value Chain

This session will explore the full due diligence cycle as outlined and required by international standards and the CSDDD. We will look at how to implement it in the different parts of the value chain with severity as a key factor for determining action.

• Identification and assessment of impacts – sources and sufficient knowledge
• Severity of harm
• Responding to impacts through appropriate means – determining factors
• Preventing, mitigating, ending, remedying
• Meaningful engagement with stakeholders including affected ones
• Monitoring performance
• Scope of value chain

 Session 4: Topical deep-dive Human Rights and Environment

This session will explore the two areas of impacts to sustainability. We deep-dive into the required topics for consideration under human rights and environment respectively.

• Categories of human rights; from civil and political rights to economic, social, cultural and labour rights through vulnerable groups.
• International humanitarian law, times of conflict and heightened due diligence
• Climate and transition plan(s)
• Environmental impacts – due diligence versus prohibitions, from environmental degradation to climate, water quality and air
• Defining risk and impact “appetite” levels; what is tolerable, what is too bad and what does zero tolerance look like

 Session 5: Reporting, mechanisms, communication and transparency

This session will explore the requirements on reporting, overlaps with European Sustainability Reporting Standards to stakeholders and engaging meaningfully with affected stakeholders.

• Consolidation with ESRS reporting – gaps and overlaps
• Required mechanisms: complaints procedure, notification mechanism
• Effective stakeholder communication and engagement
• Transparency requirements in particular cases / situations of allegations
• Documenting key decisions in case of a future law-suit

Advanced level: Putting into Practice

Session 6: Setting up internally; integration to the organization, governance best practice, engaging leadership, setting strategy and targets.

This session will explore the required elements of integrating due diligence into the organization, and practical success factors from due diligence experience over the past decade.

• Strategy, effective due diligence, KPIs, risk indicators, targets, engaging leadership
• Good practice integration into Risk, Audit, Compliance, Legal, Procurement
• Who needs to know what? Targeted capacity building

Session 7: Found my impact, and now what? The DD toolbox: contracts, audits, risk assessments, purchasing practices

This session will explore the due diligence required actions. Once you are aware of your impacts, you are expected to address them. What exactly you are expected to do depends inter alia on the particular situation, your contribution, the severity of the harm and what might be reasonable in the context.

• Contracts and responsible purchasing
• The DD “toolbox”: using leverage, collaboration, SME support, capacity building etc
• How to use and rely on the known and “old tools”: audits, SAQ, certifications, industry initiatives, union engagements, impact assessments, etc
• Factors to consider when determining appropriate action

Session 8: Heightened DD: gross human rights violations, situations of conflict and extreme environmental impacts

This session will explore the increasingly relevant question of how to act in situations of armed conflict, humanitarian law and extreme human rights abuse and environmental impacts.

• Heightened due diligence – what, when, how
• International humanitarian law, Ukraine, Israel and other case examples
• Gross human rights violations and situations of State-sponsored human rights violations such as forced labour
• Extreme environmental harms

Session 9: Complaints, grievance, remediation 

This session will explore the due diligence requirements on complaints procedure and notification mechanisms, as well as effectiveness of grievance mechanisms. What is remedy in case of human rights harm, and in situations of environmental impacts?

• Complaints procedure and notification mechanism – gaps and overlaps with whistleblowing, hotline
• Effective grievance mechanisms
• Remedy from a victim centred perspective – what and how
• Grievance mechanism and international best practice

Session 10: Upstream and Downstream: good practice

This session will explore the due diligence upstream and downstream with a focus on good practices. Whilst the CSDDD has a rather narrow focus on business partners in the value chain, practice over the past 13 years has produced a lot of good practice from companies acting responsibly in the supply chain and in relation to customers.

• Upstream and downstream according to CSDDD, national legislations and international standards
• Upstream good practice (beyond CSDDD)
• Downstream good practice (beyond CSDDD)