Inês Neves

Making businesses part of the solution: a collaborative approach to the twin transition

Abstract:
The success of the twin green and digital transition objectives hinges on the role of companies as agents with an important social mission. In contrast to a pessimistic or instrumental view of companies, which has led to the agnostic adoption of frameworks limiting their freedom of action, it is considered that companies must be taken seriously as subjects with fundamental rights. This recognition is a necessary prerequisite for companies to exercise their freedoms in favour of more innovative and equally sustainable solutions. In this essay, we seek to reconcile the assertion that companies are holders of fundamental rights with the legitimacy of imposing limits on their actions. We conclude by highlighting the inadequacy of traditional legal frameworks and the necessity for companies to be involved in the formulation of standards and technical requirements, thus facilitating more sustainable innovation.