About Ethical Trade Denmark
Global trade connects us across borders, opening opportunities to advance our societies and pursue our aspirations.
Yet, trade can also contribute to many challenges of our time: the climate crisis, exploitation of labour, deforestation, pollution and global inequality.
Ethical Trade Denmark is the national multi-stakeholder platform for responsible and sustainable trade. Our vision is to build a sustainable future for everyone through responsible global trade.
As a community, we work together to make trade fair, responsible, and sustainable – respecting people, protecting the planet, and supporting global development in line with international standards such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UNGPs, the ILO Fundamental Conventions and our 13 Ethical Trade Principles.
The more we stand together, the greater the impact we can create.
Member-based and multi-stakeholder driven
We are a non-profit member-based, national organisation with the mission of promoting ethical trade. Our members include companies, business and trade associations, trade unions, civil society organisations, education institutions, the public sector and foundations.
Collaboration and expertise
We strengthen collaboration, action, and knowledge towards responsible and sustainable global value chains, built on respect for people and planet. We host the Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Value chains, the Academy for Ethical Trade, member networks and several multi-stakeholder Alliances.
Joint action
Our multi-stakeholder platform counts among its members more than 100 small, medium, and large companies and organisations across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Through capacity building and collaboration, we use our collective power to drive systemic change and promote responsible value chains.
A neutral meeting ground for all parties
We provide a neutral and pre-competitive platform for dialogue and engagement on the complex challenges and dilemmas of global trade. Within this trusted setting, shared problems become shared opportunities and scalable solutions that create lasting change.
History
Ethical Trade Denmark was founded in 2008 to bring together business, civil society and trade unions in an effort to establish a national center for sustainable and responsible trade, through knowledge sharing and joint collaboration.
Ethical Trade Denmark was founded in 2008 to bring together business, civil society and trade unions in an effort to establish a national center for sustainable and responsible trade, through knowledge sharing and joint collaboration.
We build on the Danish tradition of inter-sectoral dialogue and cooperation between societal actors: our core values are collaboration, collective action, dialogue and courage in fostering a sustainable future.
For the past fifteen years, through countless initiatives, events, campaigns and networks, we have raised the bar for how ethical principles can and should be an integrated part of doing business – and society as a whole.
Ethical Trade Denmark has sister ETI organisations in the UK (1998), Norway (2000) and Sweden (2019).
Our commitment
Ethical Trade Denmark works towards sustainable development through responsible trade.
Our members commit to the 13 Ethical Trade Denmark Principles.
The Principles are based on internationally recognized standards:
- UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
- UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- UN Sustainable Development Goals
- UN Global Compact 10 Principles
- UN Convention Against Corruption
- UN Convention on Animal Health and Protection
Mission
We create knowledge, scalable solutions and collective action to mobilise business, trade unions, civil society and the public sector towards more responsible and sustainable value chains.
Vision
Sustainable development for all through responsible global trade.
Strategy
In our multi-stakeholder platform and through activities, we work across sectors to increase knowledge, strengthen collective action and tackle global systemic challenges through the power of collaboration.
Ethical Trade 2022
We take the temperature of our members’ work with ethical and sustainable trade year after year.
See Ethical Trade 2023 – Report
See Ethical Trade 2022 – Report
Annual Reports
Every year Ethical Trade Denmark compiles an overview of our initiatives from the previous year.
See Annual Report 2024
See Annual Report 2023
See Annual Report 2022
See Annual Report 2021
The multi-stakeholder perspective helps us to take note of how things are defined beyond our own four walls.
We have many exciting and challenging dialogues precisely because we are a multi-stakeholder initiative.