Every product we buy, every service we use, every piece of technology we rely on reaches us through the hands, knowledge and effort of workers somewhere in the world. Far too many of those workers still face exploitation, discrimination and unsafe conditions. That is the reality ETI exists to change. And today, I am proud to launch ETI's Strategy 2030, our roadmap for advancing human rights in global supply chains for the rest of this decade. 

This strategy reflects who ETI is and what we stand for. It has been built on nearly 30 years of learning: working with businesses, trade unions and NGOs to understand not just what the problems are, but why they persist and what it genuinely takes to address them. It is ambitious. But it is grounded in the practical realities of global supply chains today, the needs of workers and the pressures faced by businesses. 

The moment demands more from all of us 

The world of work is changing fast, and pressures on supply chains are intensifying. The climate emergency, geopolitical instability, economic disruption and the rise of artificial intelligence are reshaping how and where people earn a living, often in ways that increase risk for the most marginalised workers. Meanwhile, the regulatory landscape is shifting fundamentally. The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and a growing body of national legislation are turning what were once voluntary commitments into legal obligations. The bar is rising, and rightly so. 

For businesses that have been doing this work seriously and consistently, these developments represent recognition rather than disruption. For those yet to invest, the cost of waiting grows. And for the consumers, investors and regulators asking ever harder questions about what happens in global supply chains, the gap between what companies say and what they can demonstrate is coming harder to hide. 

Four priorities that will shape our work 

Our 2030 strategy is organised around four pillars, each addressing something essential. 

The first is effective human rights due diligence. ETI wants to be the most practical place for businesses to develop and strengthen their human rights programmes. That means clear frameworks grounded in ILO conventions and the UN Guiding Principles, sector-by-sector peer learning that draws on the collective experience of some of the more experienced businesses operating in global supply chains today, and guidance that keeps pace with fast-moving legislative change. Due diligence will always be at the heart of what we do, but we are committed to making it more practical and more impactful than ever. 

The second is worker representation and freedom of association. Good intentions and well-designed programmes are not enough if workers themselves don't have a genuine voice. Our strategy strengthens our focus on this, including the right to organise and bargain collectively in non-unionised supply chains and the deeper tiers where risk is often highest and representation weakest. We will provide businesses with clear, practical pathways to turn that commitment to action. 

The third is collective action on systemic challenges. Some of the most entrenched drivers of poor labour standards, forced labour, gender inequality, the impacts of climate change on workers, cannot be solved by individual businesses acting alone. ETI's tripartite model exists precisely to enable the kind of collective action that creates real scale. Over the next four years, we will focus that collective energy on these priority issues, working with our members and partners in key sourcing countries across Asia, Africa and beyond. 

The fourth is crisis preparedness, response and remediation. There is more instability in the world than at any point in recent memory. When supply chains are disrupted by conflict, climate events or political upheaval, our members consistently tell us how much they value ETI's guidance and practical support on how to respond, and the insight our global network of trade unions, NGOs and in-country partners brings. We are now strengthening that capacity further and sharpening our procedures for addressing Base Code violations, so that workers affected by crises or harm can access protection and redress, while businesses get clear advice in turn. 

Putting workers at the centre 

If there is one thread that runs through everything in this strategy, it is this: workers must be at the heart of how we work, not just the subject of it. 

Too many human rights programmes are still designed and delivered from the top down, resulting in nominal compliance rather than real, lasting change. Worker s themselves, and the small enterprises that form the backbone of so many supply chains, often have little input into how risks are identified and addressed. That has to change. The evidence is clear: workers who are empowered to speak up, organise and be heard are the most effective safeguard against abuse. When worker insights and experience genuinely shape how we do due diligence, we get better outcomes: for workers, for suppliers, and for the businesses that depend on them. 

An invitation to act 

ETI is a space where businesses, trade unions and NGOs can roll up their sleeves and work through complex challenges together, with a shared commitment to practical progress. That combination, tripartite, trusted, and genuinely collaborative, is rare. It is also, in our experience, what actually moves the needle. 

If your organisation is not yet part of ETI, I would encourage you to get in touch. The work ahead is significant. But so is the opportunity. Working together, businesses, trade unions and NGOs can build the practical pathways to change that none of us could create alone. Together, we can build supply chains that are fairer, more resilient, and worthy of the people who make them possible.