Sustainability, social enterprise and sharing: what’s law got to do with it?

20 March 2015, 9.30 AM - 20 March 2015, 5.30 PM

Hepple Room, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol BS8 1SS

Hosted by the University of Bristol in collaboration with the University of New South Wales.

This half-day workshop will engage you in talks, debate and collaborative sessions on different ways in which sustainability, social enterprise, and sharing can be linked together and supported by creative legal and regulatory frameworks. We will also explore how such frameworks sometimes construct barriers and hurdles, but in the spirit of working towards positive directions to achieve reform.

We will be drawing on the findings from the Bristol-based case studies of our international research project currently being undertaken in the UK and Australia into legal and regulatory support structures for different types of ‘green’ social enterprise across key sectors such as transport, energy, food and reuse/recycling.

We are delighted to welcome the University of Bristol’s 2015 Benjamin Meaker Visiting Fellow Janelle Orsi, founder of the Sustainable Economies Law Centre (SELC) of the USA to share her experiences. Janelle founded SELC to provide legal advice to support the flourishing of resilient communities and the Centre played a key role in the passing of new US legislation on alternative currencies, neighbourhood food and cooperative housing. We will also have a panel debate with lawyers, activists and academics; input from Bristol-based enterprises and support organisations; and time for discussion on shared issues, opportunities and challenges.

The workshop is primarily aimed at social enterprises, support organisations, lawyers and academics although others with an interest are welcome.

Registration

The event is free to attend but you must register.

Programme

View the programme and speaker details.

Contact information

For more information contact caroline.bird@bristol.ac.uk