Mapping social and environmental due diligence legislation

Governments increasingly expect businesses to carry out human rights, labour and environmental due diligence in their operations and supply chains. Despite differences in scope and approach, policies on due diligence often share broadly similar objectives, rooted in shared international standards. However, there are also some important areas of divergence. This paper maps 21 legislative measures related to human rights, labour and environmental due diligence across 11 jurisdictions. The mapping explores the scope and expectations of different measures compared to the six-step due diligence framework from the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct. It highlights main areas of convergence and divergence, and discusses the implications for businesses and policy makers. This paper ties into work on the OECD Inclusive Platform on Due Diligence Policy Cooperation.