Strong support for responsible business initiative
Public support for Switzerland’s so-called responsible business initiative now stands at 78%, 11 percentage points up on February 2019, according to an opinion poll.
Some 43% were “in favour” and 35% “quite in favour”, while 5% were against and 9% undecided, according to the poll by the Link institute. It was carried out from May 5-12 among 1,038 people aged 18-79.
The initiativeExternal link, which is supported by numerous organisations, aims to make companies headquartered in Switzerland respect human rights and the environment throughout the world. It calls for mandatory human rights due diligence and for companies to be held liable for damage caused by companies under their control.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have both rejected the initiative, considering it too “excessive”, but they have not yet managed to agree on a counter-proposal. The Senate is due to examine the issue again at the beginning of its next session. If parliament does come up with a counter-proposal, the initiative is likely to be withdrawn.
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Responsible Business debate could cause ripple effects globally
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Swiss parliament decides this week on an initiative to hold companies accountable for their impacts on human rights and the environment.
Switzerland’s golden opportunity for responsible business
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Mark Pieth of the University of Basel criticises the Swiss government for lacking the political will to build a more responsible gold supply chain.
UN experts raise concerns over Swiss ‘responsible business’ initiative
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United Nations human rights experts have raised concerns over the Swiss government’s position on the “responsible business” initiative.
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