We provide clients with transformational strategies. Our strategies are designed to accelerate a transition to safer and more sustainable alternatives, taking into account:

• Legal options

• Regulatory pathways

• Market-based mechanisms

We have considerable experience in developing strategies to reduce the use and release of chemicals of concern for human health and ecosystems. Often, these strategies are complemented by one or more of the service types below.

We provide clients with robust legal and policy analyses on international treaties and other instruments, including:

• International Environmental Laws, such as:

  • Chemicals and Wastes - Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions; Minamata Convention; Montreal Protocol; and Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC).

  • Nature - including the Convention on Biological Diversity.

  • Climate change, such as the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.

• Human rights, including

  • UN treaties and declarations

  • Regional instruments

  • Corporate responsibilities

• International labor laws and standards, including

  • ILO Standards

  • Child labor

  • Modern Slavery

Common Rights helps clients navigate international negotiations at global and regional levels. We provide clients with regular analyses and updates regarding developments on global treaties, as well as the development of various national and regional sustainability standards in Europe (e.g. CSDDD, CSRD, and EUDR), the Americas, and Asia-Pacific.

Common Rights has specialized expertise to help organizations strengthen their due diligence for chemicals, pollution, waste, and other environmental and human health issues.

We review and provide input to evaluations prepared for key standards, including CSDDD, GRI, SASB, TCFD, and CDP.

We also advise on sustainability reports and marketing efforts to ensure accurate claims and avoid greenwashing.

We provide clients with custom advice and strategies on using national and international human rights mechanisms to advance objectives. These include:

• The UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly

• UN Special Procedures, including the work of Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups

• UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies

• Regional human rights courts and systems

• National Contact Points for Responsible Business

• National Human Rights Institutions

The mandates of these mechanisms can contribute in various ways to efforts to advance sustainable practices.

Common Rights has extensive experience evaluating national and regional governance systems. We have evaluated regimes for various considerations, including:

• Environmental protection;

• Occupational safety and health;

• Access to information;

• Participation, protection and early-warning systems; and

• Access to redress and remedies.

We have evaluated systems and approaches of various countries in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Stakeholders have used these evaluations to identify and classify various risks, developing strategies for elimination and mitigation as appropriate.

We provide specialized research and analysis to help our clients meet their objectives. Our reports can help:

• Achieve legislative change

• Identify viable solutions

• Assess risks, gaps and vulnerabilities

With a multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary approach, we provide critical insights from legal, technical, political, and socio-economic perspectives.