Introduction

This Chapter introduces the framework of analysis used in the Handbook to study legal strategies that aim to strengthen sustainability in global value chains (GVCs) and harness responsible business conduct. The contributions are structured in seven Parts, each addressing a key dimension of the legal and institutional challenges of governing sustainability in GVCs. Across these Parts, the chapters engage with questions of inter alia corporate accountability, responsibility and liability, regulatory design and legal interventions. The Handbook moves from theoretical perspectives (Part I), through analyses of corporate governance (Part II), mandatory due diligence law in Europe (Part III), to civil liability in global value chains (Part IV). Subsequently, the Handbook addresses the law and governance of labour relations (Part V) and taxation (Part VI) across GVCs, to conclude with a discussion of sector-specific regulation in mining, data and textile value chains (Part VII).