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The 2030 agenda transforms the legal market: ESG criteria become a differentiating factor for law firms

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria are a set of environmental, social, and governance factors increasingly used to assess a company’s performance in terms of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. They are often applied in the context of investments as non-financial criteria, but they also extend to clients, suppliers, employees, and the general public.

• Environmental criteria (E): refer to a company’s practices and policies related to the environment, including the environmental impact of its operations, use of natural resources, and waste management, as well as factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity protection, and the impact on deforestation.
• Social criteria (S): cover corporate values expressed through business practices and policies related to people and communities, including equal opportunities, workplace safety, diversity and inclusion, and stakeholder relations.
• Governance criteria (G): refer to the company’s structure and management, including transparency, corporate accountability, ethics, and regulatory compliance.

ESG criteria are closely linked to the so-called Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), which seeks to combine financial objectives with ethical, social, and environmental considerations.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, represents the most ambitious international framework for achieving a development model that balances economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Through its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, it pursues a structural change requiring the active involvement of governments, businesses, civil society, and liberal professions.

The 2030 Agenda represents a global action plan to promote economic prosperity, social inclusion, and environmental protection. Its core principles are:

• Universality: it applies to all countries, developed and developing.
• Balance of the three dimensions: integrates the economic, social, and environmental aspects of development.
• Human rights approach: places dignity, equality, and non-discrimination at the foundation of progress.
• Multi-stakeholder participation: involves states, the private sector, civil society, and citizens.

In this context, although law firms are not explicitly mentioned, their role as strategic advisors, guarantors of regulatory compliance, and actors in public interest litigation makes them key agents in achieving the SDGs.

From an internal perspective, law firms are professional service companies. Integrating sustainability into their management means aligning their practices with various SDGs. Some examples include:

• SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production): digitizing processes reduces paper use; an average firm consuming 100,000 sheets per year can prevent the felling of 12 trees and the emission of 0.75 tons of CO₂ annually by adopting electronic files.
• SDGs 7 and 13 (Affordable energy and climate action): adopting LED lighting and contracting renewable electricity reduces the organizational carbon footprint.
• SDGs 5 and 8 (Gender equality and decent work): the legal profession must promote policies of work-life balance, diversity, and equality within its corporate structure.

Externally, law firms contribute through legal advice and the defense of public and private interests. Their contribution to the 2030 Agenda is reflected at different levels:

• Environmental regulatory compliance (SDGs 13 and 15).
• Corporate governance (SDG 16).
• Sustainable public procurement (SDG 12).
• Climate litigation and defense of communities (SDGs 13 and 16).

Furthermore, from an ethical and social perspective, lawyers’ codes of conduct require loyalty, integrity, and social responsibility. In light of the 2030 Agenda, this framework takes on a new dimension: promoting pro bono projects in defense of the environment and vulnerable communities, raising clients’ awareness of sustainability, and participating in international alliances (SDG 17), such as the UN Global Compact or the Climate Law and Governance Initiative.

In short, law firms are strategic actors in the 2030 Agenda, both internally—as sustainable organizations—and externally—through legal advice, strategic litigation, and regulatory advocacy. Integrating the SDGs into professional practice not only strengthens the ethical legitimacy of the profession but also opens competitive opportunities in a market where ESG criteria have become reference standards.