Research projects

Duration: October 2024 – March 2027

Project lead: University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna, Prof. Johannes Jäger

NEW: Economists' Statement on CSDDD (19 May 2025)

European economists support the CSDDD: Weakening the legislation would create uncertainty for companies and shift the social and environmental costs onto the general public. In their statement, the economists emphasize that the EU must defend both the CSDDD and the Green Deal.

Financial Times: EU must not swap sustainability rules for short-sighted populist measures

Abstract

The international activities of Austrian companies often have significant environmental and social impacts beyond Austria's borders. The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD) provides a new binding legal framework for compliance with environmental and social standards.
However, compliance with the standards is by no means automatically guaranteed.

The aim of the project is to mobilise the knowledge of civil society institutions from the Global South in order to contribute to the protection of climate, biodiversity and human rights. The project makes important knowledge available to companies. Through civil society and trade union networks, this knowledge can also be passed on to the public and regulatory authorities. In this way, civil society can put pressure on companies to play by the rules. The question of how to strengthen alliances and networks between civil society organisations in the Global South and the Global North is therefore also at the forefront of the project. The research project thus aims to make the EU CSDDD an effective instrument for a just transition.

Two case studies in Uganda and Chile will be conducted with local academic partners and civil society organisations. A quantitative mapping of Austrian company’s activities is intended to identify potential problems. Best practice examples of international civil society cooperation will also be analysed. The transdisciplinary approach and the application of participatory action research will contribute to gain insights and put them into practice. Thereby, insights beyond Austria are expected. Hence, the findings will be important for the effective implementation of the EU CSDDD throughout Europe.​

This project is funded by the Climate and Energy Fund and is carried out under the program "Austrian Climate Research Programme (ACRP) 2023".

Project partners

• UAS BFI Vienna: Johannes Jäger, Judith E. Brücker, Martin Wirth, Stefanie Wöhl, Karl Wörle
• King's College London, Department of European and International Studies: Joseph Baines, Sean Starrs
• University of Sussex, Department of International Relations: Julian Germann, Steven Rolf
• University of Vienna, Department of Development Studies: Antje Daniel

Cooperation partners

• FIAN Austria: Lukas Schmidt
• Fundación SOL, Santiago de Chile: Gonzalo Durán

Publications

• Durán, G., Jäger, J., Schmidt, L. (2024): The EU CSDDD: Potential Entry Points for Transferring Power Resources within Global Value Chains, In: Durán, G., Jäger, J., Schmidt, L. (Special Issue Guest Editor, 2024): New international social and environmental rules: Putting people over profit? Journal für Entwicklungspolitik, vol. XXXX 3-2024. Published by: Mattersburger Kreis für Entwicklungspolitik an den österreichischen Universitäten.
• Jäger, J., Schmidt, L., Durán, G. (2025): Lieferkettengesetz: Werden Menschen­rechte nun ernsthaft über Profit­interessen gestellt? A&W-Blog, https://www.awblog.at/Wirtscha...

Background information

• Jäger, J., Durán, G., Schmidt, L. (2023): Expected economic effects of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). AK Wien, 2023. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.18216.34560

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