Sustainability Law

The overarching theme of the research group Sustainability Law is to conduct analyses of law with the teleological aim of identifying normative solutions that contribute to sustainability as a global societal and legislative goal. The research group engages in particular with issues related to Sustainable Business, Sustainable Finance and Sustainable Circular Economy. The research group Sustainability Law understands sustainability, drawing on sustainability science and research, as securing social foundations for humanity now and for the future while mitigating pressures on planetary boundaries. Sustainability includes mitigating pressures on climate and biodiversity as core planetary boundaries, and promoting human and cultural rights, peace, rule of law, social justice and good governance as social foundations. This research-based concept of sustainability gives us an entry point to analyse and engage with laws and policies, including legislative objectives, principles and rules as well as social norms and market and technological structures. Our scope encompasses the international and European level, and the level of selected nation states, through comparative and separate in-depth legal analyses. Our research encompasses law and policy efforts towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in this important decade towards 2030, when the SDGs are meant to be achieved.