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Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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1. Legal status of multinational companies, supply chains, jurisdiction 2. Key international and national institutional actors 3. Business and human rights instruments - origin and scope 4. Corporate social responsibility 5. Due diligence 6. Responsible business. 7. Climate change and human rights. 8. ESG - environment - social - governance 9. ESG - financial reporting. 10. National legislation and national practice. National contact points. 11. EU legislation and corporate sustainability.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Group work
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Learning outcomes
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The business activities of large or multinational corporations affect our daily lives in the social sphere, in the environment, and in human rights. The role of multinational corporations and their supply chains is crucial to everyday life. Individuals, local communities, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations are calling on corporations to adapt their business activities to the requirements of sustainability and human rights. The aim of the course is to introduce the origins and specifics of the legal concept of sustainability and ESG in today's globalized world, primarily from a general perspective of business and human rights. Students will become familiar with this new field, which encompasses various disciplines human rights, business, investment, and the environment. Students will be able to identify and categorize various sources of international, European, and domestic law, as well as hard and soft law instruments, and will be able to describe and explain how they are used in specific situations. During the course, students will learn about various cases of human rights violations, best practices, and measures to improve their impact on the environment, social issues, or public administration. At the end of this course, students will be able to conduct in-depth analysis and solve problems (cases) related to sustainability or ESG issues.
During the course, students will learn about various cases of human rights violations, best practices, and measures to improve their impact on the environment, society, or public administration. At the end of this course, students will be able to conduct in-depth analysis and solve problems (cases) related to sustainability or ESG issues. After completing the course, students will be able to: 1. Identify the basic concepts and legal institutions of ESG and sustainable development SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals 2. Understand the basic forms of policy and guideline development within ESG and sustainable development SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals 3. Be familiar with and understand the basic mechanisms of accountability in international law, with an emphasis on violations of international environmental law SDG 13: Climate Action 4. Become familiar with and understand the basic rules of human rights protection. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
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Prerequisites
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The completion of this course is not conditioned upon completion of any other courses
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Student performance, Seminar Work, Written exam
Active participation in discussions and webinars (20%), independent written work and essays (30%), final exam test (open questions) to verify acquired knowledge and competencies (50%)
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Recommended literature
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Baumann-Pauly, D., & Nolan, J. (Eds.). (2016). Business and human rights: From principles to practice.
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Bayley, M. (2015). This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate [Book review]. Theology..
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Câmara, P., & Morais, F. (Eds.). (2022). The Palgrave Handbook of ESG and Corporate Governance.. Palgrave Macmillan.
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Cordonier Segger, M.-C., Gleason, T., & Stephenson, S. (Eds.). (2025). Research Handbook on Investment Law and Sustainable Development..
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Karp, D. J. (2014). Responsibility for human rights: Transnational corporations in imperfect states..
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Peshawaria, R. (2023). Sustainable sustainability: Why ESG is not enough. Penguin Business (Penguin Random House SEA).
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Skinner, G. L. (2020). Transnational corporations and human rights.
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