Canada's Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (Bill S-211) comes into force on January 1, 2024. With it comes a number of new reporting obligations targeting medium to large-sized businesses across the country.

Stephen Pike, co-leader of Gowling WLG's ESG Advisory Services Group, recently sat down with BNN Bloomberg's Jacqueline Hansen to discuss the new legislation – including who it applies to, what it asks of businesses and how it compares to similar legislation in other parts of the world.

"The goal is to put more information into the marketplace for stakeholders – whether it's investors, bankers, lenders, insurers, employees, suppliers or consumers – so they have information about what they're buying, who they're investing in, who they're supplying and how [the business is managing and mitigating the risks of forced labour and child labour in their supply chain]." – Stephen Pike, partner 

Stephen is frequently sought by businesses, investors, boards of directors, legal organizations, media and senior members of government to advise on issues related to forced or compulsory labour, including child labour. In 2022, he was invited to provide testimony on S-211 before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights.

About Gowling WLG's ESG Advisory Services Group

Comprising lawyers working across practice areas in our international offices, our ESG Advisory Services Group provides a wide spectrum of advice helping clients to understand their responsibilities and identify where risks and opportunities may lie. Learn more about Gowling WLG's ESG Advisory Services Group.