Preface

Current and Future Developments in Law: Digital Economy, Sustainability and International Economic Law presents the most topical issues that address the interconnection between digital economy, sustainability and international economic law. It covers a range of topics, including renewables subsidies, AI and corporate governance, digital currency, dispute resolution and other important research on new developments in the law. The selected chapters illustrate how the digital economy, sustainable development goals and arrangements could influence and potentially shape international economic law, and how they are intertwined in an increasingly connected world. However, as the concepts of digital economy and sustainable development integrate unevenly into different fields of law, the selection focuses on the most visible influences in the current international economic law. This book is a valuable source for legal scholars, practitioners and law students seeking updated and critical information on a more digital, and sustainable international economic law.

The chapters in this volume are written by eminent authorities devoted to the emerging multi-disciplinary fields of international economic law. Zheng in chapter 1 of the volume discusses WTO rules on renewable energy​ with a focus on the photovoltaic subsidy. Monti in chapter 2, explores the connotation of corporate social responsibility from a comparative point of view among China, Japan, and Bhutan. Marchegiani, in chapter 3 analyzes the prospect of algorithmic governance in contemporary corporate law systems and demonstrates that pursuing sustainable development of firms invariably needs human intelligence and sensitivity in the exercise of discretion at the board level. Lu et al., in chapter 4 investigate the most cutting-edge issue of digital currency and the challenges digital currency may have under the internationalization of the Renminbi. Chen, in chapter 5 considers the great disparity in the development of commercial mediation in different GBA regions and proposes a uniform rule framework to govern the mutual recognition and enforcement of commercial mediated settlement agreements across the GBA. Zheng et al., in chapter 6 discuss the emerging diversified dispute resolution mechanism and evaluates both its recent and future developments.

I hope that the readers will find these views and examination valuable and thought-provoking so that they may trigger further research on a digital and sustainable international economic law. I am grateful for the timely efforts made by the editorial personnel, especially Ms. Humaira Hashmi and Ms. Rabia Maqsood at Bentham Science Publishers.