For a long time, the regulation of supply chains relied on voluntary self-regulation, for example through certifications and audits. Binding regulations have only been introduced in recent years, such as the French Loi de Vigilance (2017), the German Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG, 2023) and the EU Supply Chain Directive (2024).
These require companies to demonstrate sustainability, human rights and environmental standards along the entire supply chain. However, the effects of these regulations are still largely unexplored, particularly with regard to their impact on companies, governance structures and sustainability in the production countries. The overarching guiding question of the research cluster is therefore: What are the actual and potential impacts of supply chain laws and related governance initiatives to promote a transformation of global value chains (GVCs) towards sustainability?
The aim of the research cluster is to understand the effects, potentials and limitations of sustainability governance of GVCs and thus contribute to the transformation of supply chains towards more sustainability. To ensure the most holistic view possible, these relationships are examined from three perspectives.
