Book Review: Anne-Christin Mittwoch, Nachhaltigkeit und Unternehmensrecht, Schriften zum Unternehmens - und Kapitalmarkrecht 107, TÜBINGEN (MOHR SIEBECK) 2022.

Abstract

The increasing acknowledgment that economic development is constrained by planetary boundaries, coupled with heightened societal awareness of climate change, places the transition to a sustainable economy at the forefront of today’s global political agendas. International climate policy commitments such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are shaping the global trajectory of sustainability policy. In the European Union (EU), alongside treaty-based obligations (Art. 3 TEU), the European Green Deal, with its climate neutrality commitment, is laying the groundwork for this transformative change. Recognizing that a sustainable reorientation of the economy necessitates a shift in economic behavior, there is an increasing understanding that companies must play a central role in pursuing sustainability objectives. While public law instruments, such as direct regulatory controls on emissions, have a longstanding tradition of regulating commercial activity, the emerging discourse increasingly emphasizes the role of private law in fostering sustainable business conduct. The monograph "Nachhaltigkeit und Unternehmensrecht" (Sustainability and Company Law), authored by Anne-Christin Mittwoch, substantially contributes to this discussion by exploring to what extent company law is capable of facilitating sustainability objectives.