https://www.responsiblebusiness.org/

Responsible Business Alliance, 1725 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA (2026)

05/13/2026

On May 12, the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), MEP Axel Voss, and BusinessEurope co-hosted a conference on the implementation of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in Brussels, Belgium.

This event, "From Rules to Reality: Driving CSDDD Implementation," provided a platform for industry leaders and other stakeholders to discuss priorities for CSDDD implementation with a focus on identifying priorities for the upcoming EC guidelines mandated by the Directive, expected to be launched soon by the European Commission.

The event also provided practical insights into what CSDDD implementation means for companies, including the sharing of early findings regarding identified gaps between current due diligence practices and CSDDD requirements, while also highlighting expected opportunities and challenges in aligning due diligence with CSDDD standards. Participants also identified important support measures, tools, and other factors needed to help companies succeed in achieving CSDDD readiness.

Thank you to our speakers and attendees for their participation in this important event.

05/06/2026

The RBA's Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) joined the April 28-29 OECD Critical Minerals Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye, an event organized to explore how countries can work together to build resilient and responsible critical mineral supply chains in the face of disruptions and tensions impacting economic, energy, and other facets of supply chain stability.

At the forum, the RMI was invited to intervene in a session on Traceability and Responsible Business Conduct, and underscored that traceability is a means to an end and must be considered as one tool among others within well-established risk-based frameworks such as OECD Guidance, UN Guiding Principles, and ILO conventions. The RMI also emphasized the necessity to advance interoperability of systems in tandem with any traceability efforts, highlighting the UN Transparency Protocol and the RBA's Responsible Business Transparency Protocol extension as a tool to support interoperability.

The RMI was also part of the US Council for International Business delegation in Istanbul, and participated in the Business at OECD (BIAC) side session. Afterward, BIAC issued the Critical Minerals, Critical Partnerships: Business Calls for OECD Action to Address Supply Risks. Read more here: https://ow.ly/Linp50YVKlw

05/05/2026

On May 12, the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), MEP Axel Voss, and BusinessEurope will co-host a conference on the implementation of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in Brussels, Belgium.

This in-person event, "From Rules to Reality: Driving CSDDD Implementation," will provide a platform for industry leaders and other stakeholders to discuss priorities for CSDDD implementation with a focus on identifying and debating priorities for the upcoming EC Guidelines mandated by the Directive, expected to be launched soon by the European Commission.

The event will feature industry sustainability leaders, policymakers and stakeholders, including:

• MEP Axel Voss
• Markus J. Beyrer, Director-General, BusinessEurope
• Dan Dionisie, Head of Unit - Company Law DG Justice, European Commission
• Kai-Niklas Krüger, Head of Responsible Value Chain & Human Rights, Continental
• Hannah Edmonds-Camara, Counsel, Covington & Burling
• Rebekah Smith, ESG Executive, IBM
• Ruben Zandvliet, Director of Standards, Shift
• Julia Otten, Senior Policy Officer, Frank Bold
• Allan Lerberg Jørgensen, Head of Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, OECD
• Amaryllis Verhoeven, Head of Unit. Responsible Business Conduct, DG GROW, European Commission
• Francesco Tramontin, Vice President Global Public Affairs, Ferrero
• Maria Althin, Chair of BE Company Law Working Group, BusinessEurope
• Ralf Sauer, Deputy Head of Unit. Company Law, DG Justice, European Commission
• Nils Heimes, Sustainability Regulation & Government Relations, BMW Group
• Janina Lukas, Head of Ethics & Social Impact, Bayer
• Andrew Britton, Founder and CEO, Kumi Consulting
• Anca Plovie, Global Lead ESG Counsel, Legal & Compliance, Nokia
• Robert Lederer, CEO, Responsible Business Alliance
• Tyler Gillard, Chief Strategy Officer, Responsible Business Alliance
• Bart Devos, Senior VP of Public Policy, Responsible Business Alliance

🔹Please find more details and register here rba.swoogo.com/RBAVOSSBUSINESSEUROPE

05/05/2026

On April 22 in Taipei City, the Responsible Labor Initiative (RLI) and a group of footwear and apparel brands convened suppliers to work on forced labor due diligence and recruitment fee remediation. Building on Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) tools and standards, the discussions focused on:

• Aligning on expectations for responsible recruitment, fee identification and remediation
• Setting a practical workplan for the sector
• Leveraging tools for greater impact while better reducing audit fatigue
• Pushing toward pre-competitive, collaborative due diligence to help reduce duplication and increase impact
• Advancing efforts fully informed by regulatory developments such as EUFLR, CSDDD, and related requirements in the United States and other countries.

The reality is that company-by-company approaches aren't enough. Creating sustainable change and scaling impact for workers requires pre-competitive, collaborative approaches to risk. We need consistency in how existing approaches are applied — and evidence that they’re working.

Thank you, adidas, lululemon, New Balance, Nike, Patagonia, and VF Corporation for your participation in these efforts as we chart the course forward.

04/30/2026

The RBA's Responsible Environment Initiative (REI) participated in an invite-only Circular Economy Forum hosted by the European Union Delegation to the United States from April 22-24 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Forum focused on circularity, particularly for critical minerals, as well as energy efficiency and water stewardship – all current REI focus areas. REI staff facilitated speaking and participation opportunities for RBA members, as well as an opportunity for the EU Ambassador to the United States to tour Intel's Chandler, Arizona campus.

Speakers included the EU Ambassador, Jovita Neliupšienė, as well as Katie Hobbs, the Governor of Arizona, and Kate Gallego, the Mayor of Phoenix. Participants included policymakers from across the European Union and United States, the financial sector, and the private sector. Key takeaways included the need to coordinate on national and international policies, while recognizing that implementation takes place at local and regional levels; further transatlantic opportunities to share learnings and collaboration related to circularity; alignment on definitions; and the promotion of circularity as a resilient supply chain strategy.

Learn more about the REI at ResponsibleEnvironment.org

04/28/2026

On Thursday, April 23 the RBA held an outreach meeting in Taipei City convening members of the RBA and its initiatives, suppliers, and non-member companies. The event included sessions highlighting topics such as responsible recruitment in a new global regulatory environment; responsible minerals sourcing and the RBA's Responsible Business Transparency Protocol; Validated Assessment Program (VAP) updates; and best business practices.

Thank you to our speakers, panelists, and attendees for their participation.

04/27/2026

The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Ms. Jane Duke, Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking) are co-hosting an event in Sydney, Australia on June 3, 2026: Driving Responsible Business: Evolving Business Practices Through Human Rights Due Diligence.

This meeting will bring together government representatives, industry leaders, and civil society experts to explore how companies can implement effective HRDD in practice while preparing for emerging global regulations and legislation, including mandatory due diligence laws and forced labour import restrictions.

The event will discuss alignment with international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPBHR) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and share practical insights from companies implementing site-level due diligence across their supply chains.

🔹Learn more and register here: rba.swoogo.com/SARBAOM26

04/27/2026

The RBA held an in-person Outreach Meeting in Tokyo on April 21, which convened members of the RBA and its initiatives, suppliers and non-member companies. Discussion topics included: Responsible Business Conduct Legislation and Impacts on Japan; Critical Minerals, the EU Battery Regulation, and the Responsible Business Transparency Protocol; Toward Zero Fees Recruitment; Key Trends and Regional Perspectives on VAP Findings and Prevention Measures; and Updates on the RBA.

Thank you to our session speakers and panelists for their insights and all the attendees for their participation.

04/23/2026

On April 21, the RBA’s Responsible Labor Initiative (RLI) held a Responsible Recruitment Workshop in Taipei City for RBA, RLI and RGA members, their suppliers, and private recruitment agencies. The focus was on practical implementation and what it takes to translate commitments into something verifiable — including approaches like the RLI Responsible Recruitment Program (RRP) 2.0, where members can nominate private recruitment agencies for assurance and targeted capacity building. A large part of the discussion was the need to build markets for ethical recruitment in key corridors. Progress is being made, however, there is still much work to be done. EUFLR, CSDDD and similar pending regulations will increase expectations on companies and reinforce the need for effective solutions.

04/22/2026

As we celebrate Earth Day 2026, the case for circular materials has never been stronger – not just as an environmental imperative, but as a supply chain security strategy as well. The production of electronic equipment is resource intensive, requiring critical raw materials that rely on complex supply networks, with potential environmental and social risks at each step of the materials extraction and manufacturing process.

Recycled metals and minerals offer a practical solution: supplementing primary material demand, buffering market volatility, and recovering valuable resources that would otherwise be lost – outcomes that are good for the environment and business. Recycled metals and minerals can help reduce environmental impacts from minerals and material extraction by reducing ecosystem impacts, protecting biodiversity, conserving water resources, and reducing air pollution. At a system level, recycling, recovery, and circular supply chains are also powerful tools for enhancing resilience and reducing dependency risks — outcomes that are unambiguously good for business and the planet. However, the collection and recycling of minerals may also pose environmental and social risks.

The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA)'s approach to the responsible sourcing of secondary minerals leverages RBA’s Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) standards and assurance programs to strengthen oversight of recycled material processing and verify recycled content data — two critical enablers of a truly circular electronics value chain. The RBA also offers its Responsible Environment Initiative (REI)’s environmental tools and programs to enable greater circularity through design, data standardization, and enhanced recycler due diligence.

To achieve the goal of closing the loop for more sustainable, resilient and secure supply chains, we must focus on strategies that not only improve the environment but also provide effective tools for companies to responsibly source recycled materials. Circularity can pay great dividends as we seek to protect the Earth and its precious natural resources while also supporting the technologies upon which humankind increasingly depends.

🌱Learn more about the RBA’s environmental efforts at ResponsibleEnvironment.org

04/21/2026

The RBA participated in a cross‑industry panel at the DC Climate Week (DCCW) event in Washington, D.C. on April 20. The panel was hosted by Pyxera Global and Anthesis, titled, "Critical Minerals and the Future of Secure Supply Chains," bringing a practical perspective on what “critical minerals” means for global supply chains. The RBA highlighted that critical minerals should be understood at the convergence of growing regulatory expectations, environmental pressures, and strategic and geopolitical considerations, as this makes them both a sustainability and supply security issue.

During the discussion, the RBA underscored the importance of collective action, noting that many mineral‑related risks cannot be effectively addressed by individual companies alone, and further emphasized the RBA's role as a trusted and neutral convenor, helping companies work together to make ongoing, incremental improvements to due diligence processes, supplier performance, and transparency. The RBA also referenced collaborative examples from its initiatives, such as the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and the Responsible Environment Initiative (REI), to illustrate how shared tools, standards, and data can help strengthen supply chain resilience while reducing duplication and burdens for companies navigating complex mineral supply chains.

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