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New Insights on Collaboration Between Sustainability and Legal Teams

Recent research conducted by the Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A), in collaboration with the global law firm Ropes & Gray, sheds light on the increasing collaboration between sustainability and legal teams in various companies. As companies face a tightening regulatory environment regarding sustainability, the need for these teams to work together has never been more critical.

Growing Need for Collaboration

In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend, as indicated by the report titled "Side by Side Sustainability and Legal – A Look Inside Two Corporate Functions Navigating Complexity & Uncertainty Together." This trend highlights that legal obligations related to sustainability are pushing organizations to enhance collaboration between their sustainability and legal departments. The study underscores that professionals in these roles are now required to adapt to overlapping responsibilities to address emerging challenges effectively.

The research involved engagement with sustainability and legal professionals from 35 leading companies across diverse industries. The researchers gathered insights through structured surveys and in-depth interviews conducted between September 2025 and February 2026. This was a particularly volatile period marked by significant developments in climate-related regulations in California and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The rapid evolution of these regulations has prompted a reevaluation of corporate sustainability strategies.

Key Findings

The study outlines a variety of pertinent findings:

• - Current State of Teams: The analysis reveals that sustainability-focused teams are lean, necessitating individuals to adopt multiple roles and enhance their capacity for cross-functional teamwork.
• - Regulatory Drivers: It identifies which regulations are exerting the most pressure on these teams, further emphasizing the intertwined nature of sustainability and compliance.
• - Perceived Risks: Companies highlighted specific risks they believe are increasing as they navigate this complex landscape.
• - Benefits vs. Challenges: The report also presents an analysis of the benefits and challenges associated with enhanced collaboration between the two functions.
• - Support Gaps: It discusses current gaps in support for in-house teams and suggests necessary actions to foster better collaboration.

Evolving Landscape

Louis Coppola, the CEO and Co-Founder at G&A, commented on the significance of this evolving collaboration, noting that approximately 39% of sustainability functions in the research now report to legal departments. Furthermore, 87% of sustainability leaders indicated that interaction with legal teams has intensified over the past year. These statistics demonstrate a strong alignment of interests between sustainability leaders and legal executives.

Coppola emphasizes, "When you position a sustainability leader and a chief legal officer together, they often share similar insights regarding their needs. This indicates a growing recognition of the importance of collaboration between these functions."

On a similar note, Michael Littenberg, Partner and Global Head of the ESG, CSR, and Business and Human Rights Compliance Practice at Ropes & Gray, expressed enthusiasm about the findings, asserting that the report corroborates market trends and provides valuable insights for organizations as they strategize for future compliance and sustainability efforts.

Moving Forward

As companies continue to grapple with new regulation and expectations surrounding sustainability practices, the report serves as a crucial resource for understanding the dynamics at play. The findings encourage organizations to leverage the insights gained to build more robust and effective collaborations between their sustainability and legal teams—essential for navigating today’s complex operational landscape.

In conclusion, the overarching narrative of this research highlights a gradual yet necessary shift towards integrated operational frameworks where sustainability and legal perspectives intertwine, ultimately bolstering corporate governance and ethical accountability in an increasingly environmentally-conscious marketplace.

For further insights, the full report is available through G&A's research platform, providing companies with the tools needed to adapt and thrive in this evolving sector.