The first part of the course introduces the origins, theories, and legal definition of sustainable development. In particular, the three pillars (economic, ecological, and social) of sustainable development and their relationships are discussed. Thereby, the course focuses on intra- and intergenerational justice, the relationship between humans and nature, and different ways of implementing sustainable development.

The second part of the course applies the acquired knowledge to a specific aspect of sustainable development: corporate responsibility. After an introduction to the topics of transnational corporate responsibility and corporate climate litigation, the class deep dives into the regulation and litigation of corporate responsibility. In particular, the students work with the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD) and the Dutch court case Milieudefensie et al. v. Shell.