Law facilitates transformation and ensures sustainable transition.

The global imperative to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the continuing negative consequences of global warming, coupled with the intense health, technological and economic challenges, have heightened the world’s attention on sustainability and transition. The focus has been mainly on the political promises, technological innovations, business declarations, and new models. But a critical enabler of sustainable transition - the law - is often a missing element, or an afterthought, in research into this vital topic for human survival, prosperity and security.

From our collective experience, we know that law has a pivotal role to play. It can either be a serious obstacle to sustainable change or a profound enabler of sound transformation. It is therefore essential that increased research and innovation be undertaken into ways in which the role of law might best facilitate and support global sustainable transition.

We therefore established the not for profit Centre for Applied Sustainable Transition Law (CASTL) with the vision that it should become the leading global Centre for research and expertise worldwide on how law can facilitate sustainable transition.