Fostering international civil society cooperation: the EU CSDDD as a new entry point for just transition (FICSC-EUCSDDD)

Duration: October 2024 – March 2027

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

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. This enables civil society to collaborate with companies to ensure compliance with 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 challenges. 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".

Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG): FICSC-EUCSDDD

Project partners

Cooperation partners

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


DISSEMINATION

Publications

Background information


Conference contributions

  • Jäger, J. (2026): The political economy of international social and environmental standards: The EU CSDDD. ECPOL Conference, Porto, Jan. 29-31, 2026
  • Jäger, J. (2026): The EU’s supply chain regulation: potentials for progressive development. Global Labour Conference Workshop, Florence, Jan. 19-20, 2026
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Das EU-Lieferkettengesetz: politökonomische Implikationen“, AK Wien, 17.12.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): The EU CSDDD and International Civil Society Networks. Entwicklungstagung, Innsbruck, 21.-22.11.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): From Simplification to Deregulation: The EU CSDDD. ETUC NETLEX Conference 2025, Madrid, Oct. 22-23, 2025.
  • Jäger, J. (2025): The EU CSDDD: A lost opportunity to implement binding international social and environmental standards? EuroMemo Conference, Athens, Sept 22-23, 2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): The EU CSDDD as a step towards binding international standards? IIPPE Conference, Ankara, 17-20 Sept 2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Capital, labour and nature: The big backlash for internationally binding environmental and labour standards. CPERN Workshop, Helsinki, Jul. 30-Aug. 1, 2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): The EU CSDDD: A new opportunity for international civil society cooperation?, International Labour Process Conference, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago de Chile, Apr. 23-25, 2025
  • Wörle, W. (2025): The CS3D in the International Process of Closing the Governance Gap – A Legal Realism and Political Science Perspective, ICON-S Annual Conference, Brasília, Jul. 30, 2025
  • Wörle, W. (2025): Can Companies Bolster Public International Law? Advancing Climate and Human Rights via the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, ICON-S Annual Conference, Brasília, Jul. 7, 2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): International social standards and green finance in the EU as entry points for global progressive Struggles?, ECPOL Annual Meeting of Political Economy, Coimbra, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2025


Panel discussions & public lectures

  • Jäger, J. (2026): Sorgfaltspflichten und Sorgfaltsprüfung in globalen Lieferketten. Roundtable, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie und Tourismus, Wien, 17.03.2026
  • Jäger, J. (2026): Wirtschaftliche Aspekte der EU-Lieferkettenrichtlinie. Podiumsdiskussion „EU-Lieferkettengesetz und Nachhaltigkeit“, Europahaus Wien, 12.03.2026
  • Jäger, J. (2026): The economic effects of the CSDDD considering the Omnibus Process. Center for Sustainable Finance, New Zealand, March 5, 2026 (online)
  • Jäger, J. (2026): Das EU-Lieferkettengesetz: Warum wurde es verwässert und wie kann es trotzdem für Nachhaltigkeit genützt werden. Lectures-4-Future, Vetmeduni Wien, 03.03.2026 (online)
  • Jäger, J. (2026): Das EU-Lieferkettengesetz: Politökonomische Perspektiven. Universität Wien, 23.01.2026
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Die CSDDD: Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ohne Abbau von Arbeitsstandards. FES-Tagung: Die Zukunft Nachhaltiger Lieferketten, Brüssel, 19.11.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Economic perspectives on sustainability. BOKU Wien, 18.11.2025
  • Wöhl, S. (2025): Civil Society Challenges to Global Supply Chains: The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Public lecture as Hallsworth Visiting Professor, The University of Manchester, Centre for Global Political Economy, Oct. 15, 2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Lieferkettengesetz und der Omnibusprozess. Tagung, Evang. Bildungszentrum Stuttgart, 10.10.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Chancen und Risiken in der Globalisierung der Wirtschaft heute. Universität Graz, 04.10.2025
  • Wörle, K. (2025): Civil society organizations as catalysts for a just transition: The CS3D under a legal realism perspective. Leuphana University Lüneburg, Sep. 24, 2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Das EU-Lieferkettengesetz – eine politökonomische Analyse. Universität Wien, 16.06.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Das EU-Lieferkettengesetz als Grundstein für internationale Solidarität und Just Transition. Lectures-4-Future, TU Wien, 12.05.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Das EU-Lieferkettengesetz (EU CSDDD): Empowerment für eine globale Just Transition? Sustainability Day 2025 – Bündnis Nachhaltige Hochschulen, 22.04.2025 (online)
  • Duran, G. (2025): The CSDDD: Transferring power to workers in the Global South. University of Vienna, Apr. 10, 2025
  • Brücker, J., Jäger, J., Wirth, M., Wöhl, S., Wörle, K. et al. (2025): Stakeholder Workshop: EU CSDDD – Entry points for global civil society cooperation. Apr. 9, 2025
  • Jäger, J., Duran, G., Brücker, J. et al. (2025): Workshop at the University of Vienna: The CSDDD: A perspective from the Global South. Apr. 9, 2025
  • Jäger, J., Duran, G., Schmidt, L. et al. (2025): Präsentation der Sondernummer des Journals für Entwicklungspolitik ‘New International Social and Environmental Rules: Putting People Over Profit?’ als Teil der Podiumsdiskussion "Stoppt den Omnibus!". AK Wien, 08.04.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Umkämpfte politökonomische Perspektiven: Das Beispiel des EU-Lieferkettengesetzes. Universität Wien, 23.01.2025

Public policy dissemination
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Die CSDDD: Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ohne Abbau von Arbeitsstandards, FES-Tagung: Die Zukunft Nachhaltiger Lieferketten, Brüssel, 19.11.2025
  • Jäger, J. (2025): Economic Effects of the EU CSDDD considering the Omnibus Process. European Parliament, Brussels, Sept. 29, 2025


MEDIA COVERAGE

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DATA