In 2025, Social LobbyMap continued to deepen understanding of how corporate political engagement aligns – or fails to align – with companies’ stated social and sustainability commitments. As a core project of the EIRIS Foundation, Social LobbyMap plays a vital role in advancing transparency and accountability in corporate lobbying on human rights and sustainability legislation.
This round‑up highlights some of the most significant Social LobbyMap developments from the past year and points readers to further resources and reports.
Why Social LobbyMap Matters
Corporate lobbying can have a profound influence on public policy, shaping outcomes on human rights, corporate accountability and related social issues. Social LobbyMap exists to shed light on this often opaque area – analysing whether companies’ lobbying activities support or undermine the public positions they take on sustainability, human rights due diligence and corporate accountability.
Focus on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)
A central milestone for Social LobbyMap in 2025 was the analysis of corporate lobbying around the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), one of the most consequential pieces of corporate accountability legislation in Europe.
In June 2025, Social LobbyMap published a major report on how corporate lobbying influenced the shape of the CSDDD, showing the extent of private sector engagement throughout the legislative process. The research analysed responses from 88 companies and trade associations across sectors including finance, energy and apparel at the time of publication, with Social LobbyMap’s coverage now expanded to 160 influential actors. The analysis revealed significant differences in positions between individual companies and trade associations and highlighted where corporate political engagement sought to weaken or reshape key provisions of the law
Key findings included:
- Sector differences in lobbying intensity and direction.
- Clear evidence that many associations pushed for caveats and exclusions even where individual companies had supported stronger due diligence obligations.
Continued Influence: The EU Sustainability Omnibus Analysis
Building on this work, Social LobbyMap published “The Lobbying Effect: How Corporate Influence Shaped the EU’s Sustainability Omnibus Proposal” in October 2025 — an analysis of how corporate influence continues to affect the CSDDD’s trajectory under the European Commission’s Omnibus Simplification package.
This research revealed that corporate and trade association lobbying remains a key force in shaping the future of EU human rights and sustainability laws. Some of the highlights from the Omnibus analysis include:
- Imbalances in influence where trade associations’ lobbying intensity often outpaced that of individual companies.
- Divergence between companies and their associations, with household name companies reporting more supportive positions than those taken by some of their trade groups.
- Sectoral divides, with food and apparel companies among the stronger supporters of robust due diligence, while financial and cross-sectoral associations led opposition.
These findings underscore how corporate influence continues to be exerted well beyond the original CSDDD process, especially as legislators revisit due diligence rules as part of broader regulatory simplification debates.
Broader Engagement and Impact
Throughout 2025 Social LobbyMap not only published research but also engaged with stakeholders across the responsible investment, civil society and policy communities. Findings were shared through events, briefings and commentary to help translate complex lobbying data into actionable insights that inform stewardship and advocacy.
Social LobbyMap’s research is increasingly relevant for investors and civil society alike as they seek to understand the political risks inherent in corporate lobbying and align stewardship practices with broader social values.
Connecting Social LobbyMap and the EIRIS Foundation Mission
Social LobbyMap is one of the ways the EIRIS Foundation advances its mission to promote a fairer, more sustainable global economy. By exposing gaps between corporate rhetoric and political influence in key legislative debates, the project supports greater accountability and empowers stakeholders to push for more responsible corporate behaviour.
For those familiar with the EIRIS Foundation’s wider work on responsible investment and corporate responsibility, Social LobbyMap offers a practical, evidence‑based lens on one of the most challenging – and impactful – areas of corporate behaviour.
Learn More
To explore the full range of Social LobbyMap updates, reports and commentary from 2025, visit: https://sociallobbymap.org/news/
In February we will be launching a dedicated metals and mining sector research series exploring corporate lobbying by particular metal and mining companies and relevant trade associations.