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Sarah Maria Denta

Associate Professor

Subjects
Circular economy Business law EU law Tender Value chains

Primary research areas

Climate Law – Danish, EU, and International

Research on legal frameworks governing climate action at national, EU, and international levels, with a focus on how these laws shape corporate compliance, risk management, and strategic decision-making.

Law and the Green Transition

Investigating legal instruments, policies, and contractual frameworks that drive the shift to a low-carbon economy, with emphasis on implications for corporate operations, supply chains, and investment decisions

Legal Aspects of Partnerships

Analyzing public-private and climate partnerships from a legal perspective, focusing on contracts and agreements that enable collaboration between governments and businesses to achieve shared climate and sustainability objectives

Plastic Regulation

Legal frameworks on plastic production, use, and waste, and their implications for business compliance and sustainability strategies.

Using legal frameworks to drive the green transition

At Copenhagen Business School, my research examines how climate law develops and functions as a legal framework for holding states accountable to their climate commitments. I focus on how national, European, and international legal mechanisms influence policy design and enforcement, and how these frameworks affect companies navigating sustainability and compliance obligations. 

Key research areas: 

European and international climate law – analyzing landmark court rulings and regulatory developments that redefine how states must implement climate policies and obligations. 

International climate agreements – including ongoing negotiations on a global plastics treaty, a pivotal framework for climate and environmental governance. 

Climate partnerships and contractual mechanisms – exploring how public and private actors can collaborate effectively to accelerate the green transition. 

Sustainability and corporate compliance – examining how legal frameworks can shape business practices and drive meaningful corporate responsibility. 

My research is not only about producing publications, but about challenging the way we think about regulation and its role in society. I am particularly motivated by connecting law, policy, and practice to ensure that climate commitments translate into tangible outcomes. 

Personal experiences, such as spending three years in Bangkok—where clean air is a scarce resource and beaches are burdened by plastic pollution—sparked my interest in climate law.