News

The IRBC Agreement for the Renewable Energy Sector is expanding with Seaway7, Jan De Nul Group and Zonunie as parties to the agreement. This brings the total number of companies, organisations and governments involved to 47.

Parties to the International RBC Agreement for the Metals Sector have developed a new tool: the Due Diligence Risk Matrix. The Matrix gives an overview of the risks for 39 main raw materials within the metals sector.

The IRBC Agreement for the Renewable Energy Sector is expanding with four new companies from the solar and wind sector. With the signing of Sif Netherlands B.V., Solarwatt BV, Equinor Renewables BV and KiesZon, the total number of companies, organisations and governments involved is now 44.

The IRBC Agreement for the Food Products Sector has increased awareness of international responsible business conduct (IRBC) in the sector. This is evident from the final evaluation of the agreement that expired on June 30, 2023.

On 22 September, 2022, the signatories and other stakeholders to the IRBC agreement for the Floricultural Sector reflected on three years of collaboration. The activities, recommendations and perspectives on a sustainable development of the sector are summarized in a final report.

For over a year, representatives of the former Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile have worked hard with the Ethical Trading Initiative, Fair Wear Foundation and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles to define responsible purchasing practices. This has led to a Common Purchasing Practices Framework. Purchasing practices are an important factor for positive impact at production sites.

Recently, the webinar ‘Successful Responsible Business Conduct: key elements for business leaders’ took place. Various speakers shared their success factors for setting up an effective due diligence system. A recording of the webinar is now available as well as the presentations and the Q & A list.

The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) has taken significant steps towards a sustainable garment and textile sector. This was the conclusion of the final evaluation of the agreement, which ended on 31 December 2021. Under the agreement, companies received advice, tools and training to help them set up and implement their policy. The aim was to analyse risks, improve working conditions, prevent pollution and promote animal welfare in production countries. Achieving substantial improvements in the garment and textile supply chain will require time and effort beyond the agreement period, however.

The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles have jointly released a report with insights from buyer and supplier feedback. In Spring 2021 feedback was collected through purchasing practices surveys by 48 participating companies, receiving insights from 954 brand employees and 445 suppliers. The report sums up key takeaways, learnings and recommendations from this huge dataset.

The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile has been concluded after five and a half years with a successful, interactive meeting. A series of speakers from companies, social organizations and government looked back and forward to the future, together with the guests. The added value of collaboration within the sector was considered a key element.