The introduction sets out the parameters of this book, which brings together contributions from experts from a range of academic disciplines, with legal scholarship at the core of the volume. It presents the context for the book’s focus upon sustainable value creation and explores how this might be developed inside the EU and through the EU’s institutions. The volume is positioned within a research-based concept of sustainability, defined as securing social foundations for humanity now and for the future within planetary boundaries. This provides the basis for the analyses of the potential for sustainable value creation in the EU. The introduction goes on to identify a number of mileposts that have shaped the progress of the EU and its relevance for value creation, including the EU’s ambitions, the financial and debt crises, Brexit and the urgent challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. The contributions of the volume are briefly introduced, before the chapter concludes with hope and optimism, setting the tone for the critical and constructive analysis to follow.