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Cornelia Heydenreich

Head of Division – Corporate Accountability

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Indigenous person overlooks huge copper mine in the Andes

Corporate Accountability Blog post 19.05.2026

Indigenous Co-Ownership in the Mining Sector

The mining industry has a long history of violating Indigenous rights, and affected communities are increasingly demanding more than compensation for the harm caused. Could co-ownership offer a path towards genuinely empower Indigenous communities and protect their human rights?

Eine Frau in einem Shirt der Solar Sisters hält eine Glühbirne hoch

International climate co-operation Sustainable Finance Blog post 23.04.2026

Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels – Why Multilateral Development Banks Should Play an Active Role

On the occasion of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, we show why Multilateral Development Banks need to play an active role in the transition process.

Eine Solaranlage in der Wüste von Südafrika

Economy, Finance & Trade Sustainable Finance Blog post 12.06.2025

Separation is Futile

Climate and development finance are often conceptually separated, even though they are two sides of the same coin. In the third part of our blog series on the Fourth UN Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, we explore why the original promise of ‘new and additional’ climate finance has been broken and how we can ensure that Seville does not become a setback in global climate and development policy.

Eine vierstöckige Superyacht, die auf dem Meer schwimmt

Economy, Finance & Trade Sustainable Finance Blog post 04.06.2025

Love Is in the Air – But so Are Emissions

A reform of the global tax system is urgently needed in order to distribute burdens fairly and to achieve climate and development goals. In the second part of our blog series in the run-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, we analyse the extent to which the super-rich and some under-taxed industries in particular are fuelling the climate crisis. Moreover, we show why the issue of tax reforms could be the key to a successful FfD4.

Titelbild einer Publikation zu UN-Steuerreformen

Economy, Finance & Trade Working Paper 21. April 2026

Borrowing the Rulebook

As negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UNFCITC) gather pace, one question cuts through everything else: how to design a regime that commands broad political support while still delivering real, enforceable change? This paper turns to three decades of climate diplomacy under the UNFCCC to answer that question.

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Corporate Accountability Report 16. March 2026

Beyond the Pilot

The cross-company grievance system of the German automotive industry in Mexico was launched in May 2024 to report human rights violations in supply chains and support those affected. Despite initial progress, the project was discontinued prematurely. This publication reflects on the perspective of the participating non-governmental organisations on the failure of the process

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Corporate Accountability Global trade Report 9. February 2026

The Impact of Due Diligence Legislation

Three years after the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) came into force, it is worth asking about its impacts: Is the law helping to prevent human rights violations along global supply chains? What concrete changes have we observed so far? This report is based on interviews with over 20 experts who work with the Supply Chain Act. The results show that, in order for the LkSG to be effective, it is crucial that the German government maintains the current level of human rights protection under the law.

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Position Paper 19. December 2025

Raw Material Partnerships and What They are (still) Missing

Raw material partnerships are a means of securing the supply of critical minerals and metals, such as lithium, cobalt, rare earths and copper, for Germany and Europe. This policy paper analyses the shortcomings of existing partnerships and makes recommendations for enabling genuine 'equal terms' cooperation.

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Corporate Accountability | 07.05.2024

Launch of grievance mechanism of the German automotive industry in Mexico

Civil society from Mexico and Germany welcomes the start of the cross-company grievance mechanism / To ensure its effectiveness, the participating CSOs call for the long-term and increased involvement of relevant companies and political institutions and the securing of resources for civil society engagement around it

Global trade | 17.11.2021

Supply chains in which no forests are destroyed: EU Commission's initiative falls short

Europe's demand for soy and meat contributes significantly to deforestation and the destruction of important ecosystems in Latin America - proposed EU legislation does not have sufficient impact

02.03.2020

Civil society calls for transparency on the companies subjected to the European Union’s Regulation on the supply of 3TG minerals

Press Release of 28 civil society organizations, including Germanwatch

Corporate Accountability | 23.11.2016

EU: Conflict Minerals agreement reached as exemptions added

Press Release Amnesty International, Germanwatch, Global Witness and other Civil Society Organisations

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