The ESG Digest: Insights into the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – Understanding the CSDDD

ESG Digest  |  June 24, 2024

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), one of the most debated pieces of European legislation of recent times, establishes far-reaching mandatory human rights and environmental obligations on companies of a certain size operating in the European Union—obligations that extend to their subsidiaries and even to their suppliers. In our two-episode podcast The ESG Digest: Insights into the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Gibson Dunn lawyers and clients discuss the impact and implications of the new directive.

In the first episode, partner Robert Spano (London and Paris) and of counsel Selina Sagayam (London) discuss the rationale behind the CSDDD and review key points that led to its establishment. They explain which companies are in scope, the next steps in the directive’s implementation, measures that companies can adopt to ensure compliance, and the potential liabilities for breach of CSDDD’s obligations.

HOSTS:

Selina Sagayam is an English qualified senior of counsel and recent former partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office and is a leader of the firm’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practice and a member of the firm’s corporate group.

Regarded as one of the leading public M&A advisers in the UK, Selina has advised on hostile, competitive and recommended takeovers. Her practice focuses on international corporate finance transactional work, including public and private M&A, joint ventures, international equity capital markets offerings and advisory work focused on corporate governance, shareholder activism and securities law advice. She also focusses on ESG advisory matters.

Robert Spano is a partner in the London and Paris offices and the co-chair of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Practice Group. He practices in the field of EU litigation, international dispute resolution and advises on regulatory matters. He is a member of the Transnational Litigation, International Arbitration, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation, Technology Regulatory and Litigation, and Public Policy Practice Groups.

He is a leading expert in public international law, business and human rights, EU law and the law of the European Convention on Human Rights, bringing unparalleled experience from senior roles in the judiciary, private practice and academia.