Marilin Eessalu, executive manager of NGO Estonian Green Movement; Halliki Kreinin, senior researcher at the Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Potsdam (RIFS)
Attempts to steer business activities towards more sustainable paths in Europe are encountering significant obstacles, but this does not mean that we are on the wrong track, write Marilin Eessalu and Halliki Kreinin.
Living in a society means we all agree to certain limitations on personal freedoms, particularly those that could harm others or their property. It is entirely justified that we are prohibited from causing harm to others through environmental damage, for example, by poisoning drinking water or destroying habitats of protected species.
We also hold the same expectations for the state and, through legislation, for the companies operating within it. Unfortunately, it is widely known that money drives everything, and what is prohibited for Võnnu resident Jüri is often allowed for a large international corporation with a registered address in the Cayman Islands.
On May 24, the Council of the European Union approved the Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which aims to ensure at least minimal corporate responsibility by obliging companies to identify, prevent, mitigate and eliminate environmental harm and human rights violations throughout their value chains.
Throughout the years of political negotiations, Estonia consistently advocated for watering down the directive to avoid burdening businesses with excessive and unclear obligations. As a result, the adopted directive ultimately applies to only a handful of Estonian companies, and business freedom continues to take precedence over many other fundamental rights and freedoms.
More read: ERR.EE