Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL), HKU

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HKU Competition Law Lecture Series

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HKU Competition Law Lecture Series

HKU Competition Law Lecture Series: Navigating the Competition – Sustainability Interface: Insights from Practice in a Changing Global Climate

Competition and Antitrust

Date & Time Sunday, 17 November 2025 12:00-1:00 am (HKT)
Duration 1 hour
Location Room 901, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, The University of Hong Kong

The debate on the interplay between sustainability and competition law initially focussed on granting more leeway for co-operations between competitors to jointly achieve carbon reductions or other environmental benefits that they couldn’t realize if acting alone. A number of competition agencies from Europe and the UK to Japan and Singapore have since issued guidance indicating where businesses may collaborate to achieve better ESG outcomes. At the same time, enforcers in Europe and Asia have heavily sanctioned firms that agreed to tamper competition on the environmental performance of their products. Most recently, U.S. antitrust enforcers have taken action against industry coalitions that were meant to improve climate impact – an remarkable evolution when considering where the debate around sustainability and competition law started. In his presentation, Dirk will distil the key takeaways from this global policy and enforcement journey and outline the practical relevance for the sustainability work of a consumer goods company active in 190 markets.

About the Speaker

Dirk Middelschulte

Global Chief Counsel Competition at Unilever, based in Brussels (AIIFL Fellowship: 17 November 2025)

Chair

Professor Julian Nowag

AIIFL Fellow and Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong