As environmental social governance (ESG) increasingly shapes the academic discourse in the European Union, Solveig Gasche provides a conceptual analysis of responsible trade in commodities. Taking into account human rights and environmental standards, she defines the crucial determinants of commodity trade, factoring in the most important historical, economic and regulatory approaches. The issues of conflict minerals and compliance, due diligence in the supply chain, and corporate ethics are also covered in the study. Special focus is placed on corporate liability with regard to account contract design options, transparency, and reporting as well as aspects of due diligence.