How can sustainability be effectively regulated?

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the fundamental conditions which are necessary for the construction of a regulation which will affect a genuine advancement in the context of environmental protection. Design/methodology/approach The component parts of an adequately built regulation are broken down to concretise the notion of efficacy – and its proposed universality – in a regulatory context. This paper takes a comparative approach of regulations and extends to include a consideration of the monitoring and enforcement of regulation as a necessary tenant of an effective regulation. Findings Sustainability regulations have seen a significant development in the 20th century. Notable remain the national discrepancies to so universal problem, as well as an inconsistent acknowledgement of the purpose of sustainability regulations beyond a tick-box compliance commitment. Originality/value The importance of sustainability has been amplified without a due consideration of what its translation into regulation must look like. This paper argues that no meaningful change can be lobbied without understanding how its practical implementation is performed.