Home / Europe / Germany / ESG

Sustainability / ESG

OUR LAWYERS CAN HELP YOU IDENTIFY THE OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUSTAINABILITY.

Sustainability has many aspects. One of them is how businesses can contribute to a more sustainable world – an issue that is gaining in importance. More and more companies are asking themselves how they can make their business practices more sustainable – including CMS Germany. Not only because they believe it is the right thing to do, but also because of new statutory requirements. Customers, investors and business partners across all sectors are calling for a tangible commitment to more sustainable ways of doing business. For job applicants, a commitment to sustainability is fast becoming a deal breaker. In some industries, entire business models are being transformed along ESG lines.

What role does the law play in sustainable business operations? Legislators and companies alike have recognised that the law can be used as a tool for making sustainability a reality. Anyone seeking to align their business with ESG principles soon discovers that from a legal viewpoint, we are still a long way from exhausting all the options. The current trend is often referred to as “juridification”.

Anyone who fails to put sustainability on their corporate agenda will eventually become unviable and unable to keep up with client requirements and employee expectations. Accordingly, CMS attaches great importance to operating in a resource-efficient and sustainable manner. This shared commitment is part of our daily business and social responsibility.
Dr. Martin Vorsmann, Managing Partner

CMS helps clients in a number of ways to apply the law effectively as part of their sustainability strategy and challenges, to reduce risk and to comply with new regulatory requirements. As a full-service law firm, we have relevant expertise in all the legal aspects of sustainable business practices. To better serve you, we have brought this expertise together in a practice group consisting of ESG specialists from a number of legal fields.

Choose area

Environment & Climate Change
Climate Change, EEG and the Environment
Civil society, businesses and politicians have become increasingly aware of climate change and its harmful impact on people, the environment and the e
Governance & Risk Compliance
Corporate governance & risk compliance
In 2018, the European Commission published its Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth. Since then, sustainability has also become a central theme
Social / Human Rights
Diversity, Inclusion and Transformation
Procurement and employment play a key role if a company wishes to become more sustainable. With regard to employment, professional sustainability
Sustainable Finance
Sustainable Finance
In the European Green Deal, the European Union has committed to becoming the first climate-neutral economic area in the world by 2050. In the pursuit

We would be pleased to advise you on all matters relating to sustainability/ESG. Please contact us.

Send us a message and we will get back to you.

Your message was sent.

Thank you for contacting us. We will get back to you soon.

Please check these fields.

By including your personal data on this form you agree to it being used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

sending...
CMS Green Trail
​Modular step-by-step plan that supports ESG compliance – digital access, in­dustry-spe­cif­ic assessment and individual recommendations for your ESG strategy
10/05/2023
CMS Green Globe
The CMS Green Globe is an interactive platform that allows businesses and clients to stay aware and duly informed about all the main rapidly changing trends and developments in relation to sustainability claims. The CMS Green Globe helps you to avoid greenwashing your consumer. Here you find:Latest news on sustainability claim­sIn­ter­act­ive map – Country-specific trends for 29 jur­is­dic­tions­G­lob­al trendsRelated ESG products by CMSKey contacts/CMS Green Globe TeamSubscribe to CMS Green Globe Newsletter here.

Feed

08/12/2023
COP28: Global Health Under the Spotlight
Health took centre stage at the first ever ‘Health Day’ at COP28 on 3 December. The program focused the attention of world leaders on the profound public health-related issues stemming from climate...
24/11/2023
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism transition in effect since 1 October...
On 1 October 2023, a two-year transitional period began for implementation of Regulation (EU) 2023/956, which introduces the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CBAM levies punitive CO2 charges...
17/10/2023
CMS Expert Guide to remote working
Employers in different countries have responded and adapted in various ways to the new working practices set in motion by the pandemic. When this Guide was first published in 2020, it was still unclear...
Comparable
26/09/2023
The European Commission launches a consultation on the implementation of...
BackgroundThe European Union’s (the EU) Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR) came into force in March 2021 and has kept the industry busy (and sometimes frustrated) since then with myriad...
21/09/2023
The European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) –...
What is CSDDD?On 23 February 2022, the European Commission published its proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (the “Proposal”), which aims to foster sustainable and responsible...
05/09/2023
Current German case law on the term “climate neutral” (klimaneutral) and...
Climate neutral – or not? The delicate use of the term “climate neutral” in advertising.In ongoing debates in society, business, politics and science around the – extremely relevant – topic...
30/08/2023
CBAM Implementing Regulation and Extensive Additional Reporting Guidance...
Earlier this month, the European Commission (“EC”) adopted an Implementing Regulation (“IR”) and released extensive Guidance Documents (“Guidance”) on the practicalities of reporting requirements...
21/08/2023
European Commission publishes European Sustainability Reporting Standards...
On 31 July 2023, the European Commission published the first set of the European sustainability reporting standards (ESRS). This is the first big step towards the implementation of the Corporate Sus­tain­ab­il­ity...
07/08/2023
The new EU Deforestation Regulation – see the wood for the trees
The new EU Deforestation Regulation came into force in June 2023. It will apply from the end of 2024 and will no longer only relate to the timber trade.The aim of the EU Deforestation Regulation is to...
31/07/2023
Plastics and packaging laws in Germany
1. What is the general legislative framework regulating packaging and plastic waste in your jurisdiction? Regulations for packaging waste are set out in the German Packaging Act (Ver­pack­ungs­ge­setz)...
Comparable
09/06/2023
Recht.Divers*
Diversity is a driver of innovation, profitability and motivation. Its many facets and issues are already part of the social discourse, and companies are also increasingly obliged to actively introduce measures for more diversity and inclusion. Find out how diversity and law are connected in our podcast Recht.Divers*.
07/06/2023
How much discrimination is there in artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often perceived as being particularly objective. However, there is considerable potential for discrimination in AI-based decisions.The significance of artificial intelligence...