Clause Libraries and Model Clauses

Several projects and organisations provide free resources to help you draft, select or adapt sustainability clauses for contracts.These initiatives offer libraries of model clauses together with practical guidance on their purpose and possible use.

The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) provides a free, open-source library of climate-aligned contract clauses accompanied by practical guides and playbooks designed to help embed climate considerations into commercial contracts.

The Responsible Contracting Project (RCP) offers a toolkit with model contract clauses, explainers, and tools aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and OECD Guidelines. Resources cover different sectors and geographic locations. Examples of model contractual clauses include The European Model Clauses (EMCs) that are designed to align with the CSDDD, and MCC 2.0, that are model clauses intended for buyers located in the United States.

WorldCC Foundation Sustainability Clause Library is a collaborative, open-source resource that brings together sustainability clauses from a range of initiatives and contributors. While the clauses vary in style and origin, the library promotes approaches that aim to be:

• Plain: Written in direct, accessible language
• Well-designed: Structured logically with clear formatting
• Usable: Relevant to its purpose and easy to integrate
• Relational: Framed with the right audience in mind

Some initiatives also provide model Codes of Conduct that organisations may reference in their contracts. Public procurement guidance also provides model sustainability requirements for procurement criteria and tender specifications. For example, the European Commission’s Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria offer ready-to-use environmental requirements for public tenders. They can be incorporated into tender specifications and carried through into contracts.

The European Commission is expected to publish guidance on model clauses supporting the implementation of the corporate sustainability due diligence directive.. According to Article 18 and Recital 66 of the Directive, such guidance should facilitate a clear allocation of tasks between contracting parties and support ongoing cooperation.