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ARTICLE · 01 MAY 2026

ESG Cooperations & Competition Law: Navigating The Legal Boundaries

Mayer Brown
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Companies increasingly recognize that addressing systemic human rights and environmental challenges in global supply chains requires collective action, yet every collaboration between competitors raises competition law concerns.

GlobalAntitrust/Competition Law
Teresa Gerhold
Teresa Gerhold
Ora Nwabueze
Ora Nwabueze
Johannes Weichbrodt
Johannes Weichbrodt
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Companies across industries increasingly recognize that tackling systemic human rights and environmental challenges in global supply chains often requires collective action to have true impact. Whether addressing forced labor, promoting living wages in agricultural supply chains, or remediating unsafe working conditions, a single company can rarely solve these problems alone. Trade associations, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and other forms of cooperation between competitors have emerged as critical vehicles for supply chain due diligence and remediation measures.

Yet every time competitors sit down together, even for the noblest of purposes, competition law is in the room. The legal frameworks in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States share a common premise: agreements between competitors that restrict competition are prohibited, no matter the purpose. Where they diverge, however, is in how much space they leave for sustainability-driven collaboration, and

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This Mayer Brown article provides information and comments on legal issues and developments of interest. The foregoing is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter covered and is not intended to provide legal advice. Readers should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to the matters discussed herein.

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