Re-framing commercial law to support net zero governance
Re-framing commercial law to support net zero governance
Commercial law cuts across various private law fields. This paper argues that there is a need to break down the silos of legal frameworks within commercial law that pigeonhole sustainability according to sector; we assert that legal mechanisms for reaching net zero across these diverse sectors must be understood as a common objective. We aim to identify policy objectives reflecting existing common themes, that can be adopted across commercial law, to provide better guidance for policy makers, particularly in harmonising legislation supporting the net- zero transition. By aligning the net- zero goal with the traditional objectives of commercial law, this paper argues that greater legal support can be achieved for net- zero governance. Commercial business activities have significant impacts on the protection of public interests, including environmental safeguarding, sustainability, and human rights; net zero needs to be embedded within the commercial legal framework as an objective cutting across its regulatory fields.
Schmidt, Hedvig
79ee57ca-7da9-43ea-93bc-2c3ad29e714a
Law, Stephanie
0778fc4b-cdf4-436e-9fcb-7f2ee2006ca4
Zhao, Liang
613edba3-09db-4b4e-a0ac-94ed7ff2cbda
29 July 2025
Schmidt, Hedvig
79ee57ca-7da9-43ea-93bc-2c3ad29e714a
Law, Stephanie
0778fc4b-cdf4-436e-9fcb-7f2ee2006ca4
Zhao, Liang
613edba3-09db-4b4e-a0ac-94ed7ff2cbda
Schmidt, Hedvig, Law, Stephanie and Zhao, Liang
(2025)
Re-framing commercial law to support net zero governance
The British Academy
Record type:
Monograph
(Project Report)
Abstract
Commercial law cuts across various private law fields. This paper argues that there is a need to break down the silos of legal frameworks within commercial law that pigeonhole sustainability according to sector; we assert that legal mechanisms for reaching net zero across these diverse sectors must be understood as a common objective. We aim to identify policy objectives reflecting existing common themes, that can be adopted across commercial law, to provide better guidance for policy makers, particularly in harmonising legislation supporting the net- zero transition. By aligning the net- zero goal with the traditional objectives of commercial law, this paper argues that greater legal support can be achieved for net- zero governance. Commercial business activities have significant impacts on the protection of public interests, including environmental safeguarding, sustainability, and human rights; net zero needs to be embedded within the commercial legal framework as an objective cutting across its regulatory fields.
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Discussion Paper - British Academy Commercial Law and Sustainability June 2025 clean version
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e-pub ahead of print date: 7 February 2025
Published date: 29 July 2025
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Local EPrints ID: 509878
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/509878
PURE UUID: b61591b7-702d-4ee7-9b43-88cfbbc3ec3d
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Date deposited: 09 Mar 2026 18:05
Last modified: 10 Mar 2026 03:01
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