Sustainability beyond Compliance Corners of Law, Business Strategy, and Social Justice in the 21st Century

Abstract

Sustainability has emerged as one of the challenges of the twenty-first century that requires cooperative efforts of law, business, and society. The present review article critically discusses the convergences of the law system, corporate practices, and sociological approaches to determine whether sustainability practices are still compliance-based or are transformative towards a change. The objective of research is to develop an overarching picture of the available literature, which will demonstrate the gaps in the current effort to achieve successful sustainability and trace the route to its more inclusive variant. The paper utilizes a systematic review approach and is based on over fifty academic sources, combining the results of legal, business management, sustainability, and sociology studies. The review indicates that even though international legal frameworks and domestic laws have established a platform towards sustainability in the corporate world, most business operations still focus on reputational rewards rather than on outcomes. At the same time, authors of sociological studies highlight inequalities, labor rights, and climate justice as key but frequently neglected aspects of sustainability. The results indicate that the only way forward is to go beyond compliance and combine stakeholder interests, legally binding norms, and socially inclusive business strategies. Novelty about the review method is that it is an interdisciplinary approach that can bring legal, economic, and sociological knowledge together to advance a holistic view of sustainability. The paper ends by providing recommendations for further study, future policies, and business practices by placing sustainability as a paradigm shift of global equity and resilience as an alternative to compliance with regulations.