Sustainability Law

Introduction

The course provides an introduction to sustainability regulations that are particularly relevant for businesses, with a special focus on:

a) Climate change b) Resource conservation c) Circular economy d) Social justice e) Good corporate behavior

It is also a perspective course aimed at increasing awareness of key ecological and social factors and the relationship between law, economics, politics, and ethics.

Course content

The course will cover the following topics:

• The development of ethical, political, economic and legal concepts about sustainability/ESG, with particular focus on the UN's sustainability goals, the Paris Agreement and the EU's measures and plans for sustainability.
• The EEA rules for the classification of sustainable economic activities (The taxonomy and more)
• EEA rules on reporting related to sustainability (CSDR, ESRS and more)
• General and special action rules related to sustainability (CSDDD, ETS, rules on resource use/resource protection, circular economy and waste management)
• Sustainability law's implications for other legal disciplines, with a particular focus on company law (definition of the company's interest, requirements for the integration of sustainability, requirements for good corporate conduct, etc.)

The course will particularly emphasize the following sustainability goals (referencing the ESRS framework):

• Prevention of climate change (E1)
• Resource conservation (E2-4)
• Circular economy (E5)
• Social justice (S1-4)
• Good corporate behavior (G)