About the Initiative

Every year is one step closer to the 2030 deadline for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With little time left for this ambitious agenda, lawyers around the world are looking to contribute. The Initiative is the space for global legal professionals to take action through partnerships for progress and contribute to the SDG Agenda. Join hundreds of lawyers as they take initiative towards a sustainable future.

What is the SDG Legal Initiative?

The SDG Legal Initiative harnesses the collective power of the legal profession. It commits to sharing knowledge and best practice on how the law can contribute towards the SDGs. By doing so, legal professionals are enabled to take action to end poverty, protect the planet, and secure peace and prosperity around the world.

The Initiative is a space for constructive collaboration within the legal sector and to build communities of practice between anyone engaged or concerned with the law, justice, and international development.

All law firms, development organisations, private sector corporations, and early career professionals are invited to join the initiative to access resources, training sessions, events, and various opportunities to contribute to the SDG agenda.

Lawyers around the world are already part of the sustainability solution.

What is the role of law and lawyers?

The law and global justice systems are key in driving sustainable growth and development for societies and individuals. Upholding the rule of law is necessary to ensure that every person benefits from the commitments of the SDG Agenda. Lawyers from all jurisdictions and across all practice areas have a role to play in ensuring that no one is left behind.

Hundreds of lawyers are already playing their part. Some examples include:

How does the SDG Legal Initiative support commitment to sustainable development?

Law Firms and Corporates

By providing tools and resources that align with sustainable business practices, lawyers are able to give better advice to their clients.

Charities NGOs and Civil Society Organisations

By providing a platform for strategic partnerships, third sector professionals are better able to access legal support aligned with sustainable development.

Government iNGOs and Academia

By providing access to legal expertise, policy-makers can make recommendations grounded in real world impact.

The SDG Legal Initiative bridges the gap between the global legal profession and sustainable development objectives at scale.

What is the Business Case for joining the SDG Legal Initiative?

With a growing number of stakeholders looking to align with the SDGs, the approach to sustainability has already pivoted from aspiration to expectation. Whether it is seeking to attract new talent into your organisation, or recognising that clients are increasingly in need of legal expertise on matters of sustainability, there is a strong business case for joining.

The sooner legal practices begin to align themselves with sustainable development, the more opportunities will arise. Find out more by downloading the full SDG Legal Initiative Business Case.

Your Questions Answered

What are the UN SDGs?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a blueprint for collective action covering 17 interlinked objectives for all nations and persons. From poverty, welfare, employment, environmental conservation and rule of law, the SDGs cover all aspects of environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The SDGs were adopted by United Nations in 2015, with the backing of 193 states. The Goals form part of a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. This is a call echoed by the SDG Legal Initiative: a call to the global legal profession to realise their part in this wider agenda.

To find out more about the SDGs and ‘Agenda 2030’, please visit the UN website.

How can lawyers make a difference to the SDG Agenda?

Every year, hundreds of sustainability-related projects have been identified by A4ID. This work supports organisations around the world through legal pro bono. Calls for assistance have spanned from conducting legislative reviews and legal research to advising on matters of incorporation, employment and taxation.

Drawing on legal expertise, lawyers have also demonstrated their worth in policy development and capacity building, supporting projects such as the Rule of Law Index and delivering training programmes to a variety of stakeholders.

Joining the SDG Legal Initiative provides access to these opportunities to make a meaningful impact for sustainable development.

How can joining the SDG Legal Initiative benefit law firm clients?

From sustainable supply chains to governance and reporting, the line between risk management, due diligence, and legal culpability has grown thinner – and clients know it. For law firms and in-house counsel, an understanding of the SDG framework is imperative for  grounding the strict boundaries of the law within the broader landscape and contributing to innovations that will future-proof business performance.

How can legal pro bono contribute to the SDGs?

The SDG Agenda provides a useful blueprint to align pro bono projects against as a tried and tested model for delivering impact. Whether it is supporting charities and NGOs to incorporate or expand their outreach, providing legal expertise in research projects for new public policies or advocacy initiatives, or even mobilising the power of litigation to hold institutions to account, there are numerous ways that pro bono projects can benefit.

All legal practice areas have a role to play in achieving one or more of the 17 SDG goals. There is therefore ample opportunity to align sustainability contributions with your own pro bono commitments, corporate values and business objectives.

How can charities, NGOs, and civil society organisations benefit from support provided by legal professionals?

Third sector organisations can overcome barriers in delivering their impact with the support of legal professionals. For example:

  • When expanding operations in new communities,
  • Meeting due diligence requirements, and
  • Securing large-scale funding or resources.

Legal professionals can also support third sector organisations to maximise this impact by using their knowledge in creating favourable conditions for change. For example:

  • By bolstering public infrastructure,
  • Developing sustainable supply chains,
  • Safeguarding basic human-rights, and
  • Conserving and protecting natural environments.

How can the SDG Legal Initiative support governments, intergovernmental organisations and academia?

Many of the 169 targets rely heavily on entrenchment into national policies, regulations and laws, demanding government attention, and culpability in illustrating progress.

Reform efforts must be evidence-based, holistic, and collaborative to be sustainable. With less than a decade to go, governments are likely to find that any legislative action in support of the SDGs will be more swiftly implemented where there is a high level of understanding amongst the various organs of state; not least of which, is the legal profession. Some examples already include:

  • Lawyers providing pro bono expertise on rights-based policy design in South America,
  • Identifying barriers to prison reform in multiple jurisdictions, and
  • Delivering training on war crimes and judicial procedures.

These valuable skills alongside legal competencies in conducting rigorous research, places lawyers in a unique position to support policy development and identify both strengths and weaknesses within public institutions.

Join the Initiative

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