Business & Law Research Network

Sustainable business law

The sustainable business law research group is dedicated to researching the complex relationship between business activities and sustainability. It strives to develop legal solutions that contribute to a more ethical, just, ecologically responsible and socially inclusive society. Our aim is to develop a deep understanding of how company law can be used as an instrument for positive change, in line with the goals of sustainable development.

In recent years, legislators have paid extensive attention to company law and sustainability law. Important developments have come not only from national legislators, but within the European Union (EU), in particular from the EU legislator. New developments are the Taxonomy Regulation, which entered into force on 12 July 2020, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which entered into force on 5 January 2023 and the proposal for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. We focus in particular on the relationship between the company and the society. Our research is - among others - conducted into sustainable corporate governance, sustainable reporting, and sustainable finance. Some relevant questions are: which consequences do new sustainability regulations have for businesses? How can sustainability be incorporated into corporate frameworks? How can we solve new legal issues that may arise, for example liability for climate change damages or greenwashing?

The sustainable business law research group is committed to researching the complex issues that may arise when trying to create a legal framework that aims to balance the interests of companies, society and the planet.