A “green antitrust” movement is brewing in the European Union and expanding globally. It favors loosening up enforcement to allow sustainability-enhancing collaborations with anticompetitive effects. In this seminar, the green antitrust movement as currently conceptualised will be critically discussed. Based on doctrinal and comparative analysis, we will assess the compatibility of green antitrust with the theoretical foundations of corporate social responsibility, and will explore whether the policy’s alleged sustainability problem is supported by empirical evidence. We will focus on the problems associated with the possible implementation of a laxer policy. On this basis, we will propose an alternative path for ensuring that competition policy fosters environmental objectives, and redefine green antitrust to underline the law’s potential to boost sustainability.

About the Speaker:

Prof. Sandra Marco Colino, Associate Professor, CUHK LAW.