Proceedings: In February 2023, the plaintiffs initiated legal action in the Judicial Court of Paris, France, against BNP Paribas.   

Main Claims: The plaintiffs accuse BNP Paribas of financing Brazilian companies without implementing rigorous measures to prevent and mitigate socio-environmental harm linked to their business activities. The accusation targets the Brazilian company Marfrig, one of the largest global beef producers with numerous slaughterhouses in Brazil, as well as other meat companies, for sourcing from direct and indirect suppliers involved in illegal deforestation in the Amazon, illegal appropriation of land in indigenous territories, and slave labour. The plaintiffs argue that BNP Paribas’ current vigilance plan is inadequate for addressing the complexities of the Brazilian cattle industry. They highlight that the bank has been financing major players in this industry for over a decade, despite their established association with significant human rights abuses and environmental degradation. 

The plaintiffs seek a court order compelling BNP Paribas to adopt a new robust vigilance plan compliant with France’s duty of vigilance law of 2017. The law obliges large French corporations to create and implement comprehensive vigilance strategies to detect and prevent serious violations of human rights and environmental norms across their international supply networks. The case represents a comprehensive approach to such corporate responsibility, demanding that financiers, as key actors in the supply chain, conduct thorough diligence to prevent such harms. 

The plaintiffs further requested that the new vigilance plan will be subject to a penalty of €10,000 (ten thousand euros) per day of delay from the judgment to be issued (in compliance with French commercial code).