Financial Sector The guidance covers key considerations for institutional investors in conducting due diligence to identify and respond to environmental and social risks.
Responsible business conduct for institutional investors key considerations for due diligence according to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, from preventing or mitigating negative impacts on human rights and labour rights, environment to bribery practices in investment portfolios.
OECD Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct for Institutional Investors – Brochure
Managing Climate Risks and Impacts through Due Diligence for Responsible Business Conduct A Tool for Institutional Investors
Due Diligence for Responsible Corporate Lending and Securities Underwriting Key considerations for banks implementing the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct
Due Diligence for Responsible Business Conduct in Project and Asset Finance Transactions
OECD Guidance on Transition Finance – Ensuring Credibility of Corporate Climate Transition Plans
OECD Centre on Green Finance and Investment
Due Diligence Essentials for Responsible Banking and Capital Markets – This RBC Spotlight case study covers key due diligence risks and challenges for banks and investors — including climate risks in portfolios and labour rights in financed supply chains.
Provides a practical framework for identifying and managing risks related to responsible supply chains and stakeholder engagement and consultation activities
02.01 Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas
OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas guidance for businesses to help them respect and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral purchasing decisions and practices
Through the Due Diligence Checker developed by the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), companies can assess their performance in implementing the OECD’s five-step due diligence framework and receive advice on where to specifically improve their due diligence processes. The tool is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working in supply chains for tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold, but the assessment can also be applied to other minerals and/or companies.
There are two scenarios where due diligence is mandatory for companies dealing with tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold and their products:
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework – OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains
FAQ: How to address bribery and corruption risks in mineral supply chains
Handbook on Environmental Due Diligence in Mineral Supply Chains
Monitoring corporate disclosure – Assessing company reporting on mineral supply chain due diligence
Costs and Value of Due Diligence in Mineral Supply Chains
Conflict transformation and the role of responsible artisanal and small-scale mining Supporting peace through supply chain due diligence
Due Diligence Essentials for Responsible Minerals – This RBC Spotlight examines the key characteristics of mineral value chains, salient risks — including climate impacts, biodiversity loss and workers’ rights violations — and opportunities for effective due diligence implementation.
02.02 Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractive Sector
OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractive Sector for mining, oil and gas companies in addressing challenges related to stakeholder engagement. The use of the Guidance is recommended for companies associated with the extractive sector, especially those engaged in the exploration, development, mining, processing, transportation and storage of oil, gas and minerals.
Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment & Footwear Sector – the clothing and footwear sector is one of the largest consumer goods sectors in the world. The OECD’s Guidance for an in-depth analysis of responsible supply chains in the clothing and footwear sector are divided into two parts. The first part contains a description of the due diligence process, while the second consists of parts related to the due diligence of specific risk areas, including: child labour, sexual harassment in the workplace, forced labour, working hours, occupational health and safety, trade unions and collective negotiation, wages and environmental protection.
OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector
Through the OECD Due Diligence Checker companies can find out how they are performing in implementing the OECD’s six-step due diligence framework and get advice on where to specifically improve their due diligence processes.
Due Diligence Essentials for Responsible Garment and Footwear – This RBC Spotlight identifies concrete risks in garment and footwear supply chains — including child and forced labour, living wages, and climate risks — with examples of good practice responses
OECD and UN FAO have developed guidance to help companies comply with standards of responsible business behavior in the agricultural supply chain.
OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains The OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains provides a joint framework and globally applicable criteria to assist agricultural companies and investors in contributing to sustainable development by identifying and mitigating negative impacts. The Guidance is relevant for all companies across the entire agricultural supply chain, from farm to consumer, encompassing a wide range of food and non-food products.
OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains – Brochure
To assist companies in moving from commitment to action, the OECD and its partners have developed handbooks for businesses of any size and position in the global supply chain to identify, prevent, and address specific risks in the agricultural sector. These handbooks focus on the effective implementation of thorough risk analysis to help companies avoid and resolve negative impacts on people, the environment, and society, and contribute to sustainable development. The handbooks are designed through a multi-stakeholder participation process, building on OECD due diligence recommendations and relying on current best practices, tools, and data.
OECD-FAO Business Handbook on Deforestation and Due Diligence in Agricultural Supply Chains
Business Handbook on Due Diligence in the Cocoa Sector
Business Handbook on Due Diligence in the Cocoa Sector – Brochure
Integrating a gender perspective into supply chain due diligence
The digital economy significantly impacts the global business environment. New tools and stakeholders, such as online platforms, social networks, big data, and network service providers, influence business models and our understanding of what “business” is. The implications of digitalization for responsible business are manifold.
New digital tools can accelerate development and enable companies to enhance their efforts to act responsibly, especially in terms of responsible supply chain management (e.g., blockchain technology for supply chain management, machine learning, and analytics for risk monitoring).
At the same time, digital transformation can also lead to businesses causing or contributing to harmful effects on society and the environment in new ways (e.g., the risk of bias and discrimination in using artificial intelligence, human rights risks associated with surveillance technology, and abuse of platforms for online content, etc.).
Due Diligence Essentials for Responsible Software – This RBC Spotlight analyses key RBC risks in the software sector — including supply chain risks, data protection, security vulnerabilities, labour market impacts and the environmental footprint of digital infrastructure.
The new OECD tool, Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible AI, is intended to be used as a tool for multinational enterprises involved in the AI value chain – those that provide input to AI development, actively participate in the AI system lifecycle, or use AI systems in their operations, products, and services across all sectors.
Responsible Business Conduct and Technology – Overview of OECD tools, guidance and analyses relating to responsible business in the technology sector, including risks related to the digital economy, platform companies and artificial intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence & Responsible Business Conduct
Is there a role for blockchain in responsible supply chains?
The pharmaceutical sector plays a central role in public health and global well-being, but it also faces a range of responsible business conduct risks. Supply chains in the sector — spanning from raw material extraction, overseas active pharmaceutical ingredient processing facilities, and contract research organisations to packaging and distribution — are exposed to risks of worker exploitation, environmental pollution, deceptive marketing and the spread of counterfeit medicines.
Due Diligence Essentials for Responsible Pharmaceuticals – This RBC Spotlight covers risks in the pharmaceutical sector — from worker exploitation in supply chains and inadequate quality controls that can harm patients, to pharmaceutical pollution, counterfeit medicines and ethical issues in marketing and clinical trials.
The construction sector — encompassing building, real estate, and construction materials manufacturers — is one of the world’s largest employers with around 220 million workers, a significant proportion of whom are migrant and low-skilled workers. Responsible business conduct risks are particularly pronounced on construction sites, where occupational health and safety, forced labour and discrimination against migrant workers are persistent challenges. Complex subcontracting chains make it difficult to identify and manage these risks.
Due Diligence Essentials for Responsible Construction – This RBC Spotlight examines the sector’s key characteristics, salient risks — including occupational health and safety (especially for migrant workers), forced labour and environmental impacts of construction materials — and the opportunities and challenges for due diligence implementation in complex subcontracting chains.
Responsible Business Conduct Due Diligence for Project and Asset Finance Transactions
The electronics and vehicle manufacturing sector is one of the largest and most complex global sectors, with extensive supply chains stretching from critical mineral mines in conflict-affected and high-risk areas to assembly facilities across Asia and Europe. Companies in this sector face a range of responsible business conduct risks — including forced and child labour in mineral sourcing, unsafe working conditions in manufacturing, environmental impacts of e-waste disposal, and bribery and corruption risks in supply chains.
Due Diligence in Electronics and Vehicle Manufacturing – This RBC Spotlight analyses key risks in the sector — from mineral sourcing and supplier working conditions to EU legislative requirements — and shows how companies can implement due diligence in line with international RBC standards.
OECD Due Diligence Guidance in the Electronics Sector – Overview of key supply chain risks in the electronics sector — from mineral sourcing risks to manufacturing process risks — with references to relevant OECD tools.
Protection and preservation of the environment are key to achieving sustainable development and the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The role of OECD instruments on responsible business conduct in progressing environmental objectives
The OECD MNE Guidelines on RBC advocate responsible business behavior to help businesses meet the challenge of transitioning to a green economy and preserving natural ecosystems, including addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and establishing a circular economy.
OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct help businesses address environmental threats and achieve global environmental goals related to their business activities – including their supply chains and business relationships.
OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractive Sector
OECD-FAO Business Handbook on Deforestation and Due Diligence in Agricultural Supply Chains
Managing Climate Risks and Impacts Through Due Diligence for Responsible Business Conduct A Tool for Institutional Investors
OECD Guidance on Transition Finance – Ensuring Credibility of Corporate Climate Transition Plans
Mechanisms to Prevent Carbon Lock-in in Transition Finance
Responsible Business Conduct for a Just Transition — Protecting Workers, Communities and Consumers in the Low-Carbon Transition
Promoting the coherence of responsible business conduct policies, international trade and investment, and the integration of responsible business conduct into global value chains can contribute to more resilient and sustainable global value chains and a fairer distribution of the benefits of globalization.
Building more resilient and sustainable global value chains through responsible business conduct
Ending child labour and human trafficking in global supply chains