As a purely legal matter, corporate sustainability and social entrepreneurship require that we begin by asking the following question: Does the law of corporate governance permit social good as a primary focus and aim of corporate action?

Some argue yes, claiming that social entrepreneurship, for example, “can increase shareholder value both socially and financially and therefore [such] decisions directly correlate with shareholder profit maximization and are within the scope of corporate governance.” [Sustainability Meets Profitability, November 1, 2007]