From regulation to resilient value chains: The business case for due diligence after CSDDD simplification

Due diligence fatigue has long affected the apparel and textiles sector, with heavy administrative workloads and repeated supplier checks that often fail to identify real labour risks. Uncertainty around the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) has made it harder for companies to commit to long-term investment.

Recent policy signals now offer clearer direction, including a narrower scope, removal of the mandatory climate transition plan requirement, and a higher applicability threshold of around 5,000 employees and €1.5bn in annual turnover. While formal endorsement is pending, clarity is returning.

This allows attention to shift from regulatory interpretation back to action. This webinar explores the business case for holistic due diligence beyond compliance, showing how better data, improved visibility and coordinated approaches can reduce duplication, ease supplier fatigue, strengthen sourcing relationships and support long-term resilience.

This session explored:

• What are the real business risks of limited supply chain visibility, and how do these risks translate into financial, operational and reputational impact?
• How can evolving compliance expectations be framed in CFO-level terms that support investment decisions, prioritisation and long-term value creation?
• Which data actually matters in a simplified regulatory landscape, and how can companies ensure it reflects workers’ rights and on-the-ground risks without creating unnecessary reporting burden?
• How can brands and suppliers collaborate in shared supply chains to improve transparency, reduce duplication and enable effective, pre-competitive problem-solving?