At the Ajmal Store next to the Gateway of India, Bombay soaking in the aroma with the chatter of Khaleeji tourists with Gahwa.

There were Omani tourists who were enquiring about Bakhour.

I am aware that companies are there to sell their product to make a profit and not sustainability considerations, however the global zeitgeist is evolving towards treating workers better while combatting climate change. Thus, it is a factor towards mainstreaming human rights reflected in the HRDD mandate in the EU CSRD law. The meta considerations behind ESG are quasi political, in transnational liberal politics, in a next wave of globalization and integration. Green parties are a major feature on the electoral landscape in the EU.

The HRDD mandate needs to go beyond tier one suppliers where the problems lie. If the civil society actors and journalists can identify the rot, I bet mega corporations with plenty of spare change can allocate resources more than the token sustainability team.

Having worked with labor and civil society actors at the base of the pyramid throughout Asia, there are ways and means to creatively detect and diagnose problems at various scales. I am happy to speak to actors who need the right insights beyond consulting obfuscation.

In the era of transnational litigation, each data point is material. There are forced labor and modern slavery legislations from the EU to Australia.

I start a small research project on transnational social protection of injured migrant workers, building on working with migrant activists and community leaders and NGOs in SE Asia and the Gulf since the past decade, as there needs to be better action research to protect and care for those who build our cities and communities with our remittances. I would work on this for the next year. Please suggest readings or names to speak to.