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This report summarizes a global consultation of approximately 40 civil society organizations (CSOs) conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Global Initiative on Commodities (GIC). It provides recommendations to ensure that commodity production and trade contribute to sustainable development, emphasizing a bottom-up, participatory approach to national and international policy.

This research paper examines the rapid growth of the plantation industry in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, driven by overseas investment, and analyzes the role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) in managing the environmental and social impacts of this sector.

This guide provides a comprehensive checklist for governments and stakeholders to evaluate the sustainable development impacts of investment incentives. It emphasizes a multi-level analysis covering individual projects, general incentive policy design, and the influence of international agreements, arguing that economic growth alone is an insufficient measure of success.

This 2009 case study by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the impact of investment incentives on the mining and quarrying industry in Vietnam between 2000 and 2006. The report finds that while tax incentives are highly valued by foreign invested enterprises (FIEs), they are not a prerequisite for investment decisions and have failed to drive sustainable development behaviors. FIEs outperformed domestic firms economically but showed passive approaches to social welfare and environmental protection, often doing only the minimum required by law.

This executive summary describes the Circumpolar Young Leaders (CYL) program and other initiatives aimed at training the next generation of northern leaders to address sustainable development in the Arctic. It identifies systemic barriers facing northern youth and recommends a coordinated regional strategy to build leadership capacity through education, mentorship, and increased indigenous ownership of training programs.

This 2009 report by the Centro de Estudos de Integração e Desenvolvimento (CINDES) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the evolving relationship between Brazil's trade agenda and sustainable development (SD). While the Brazilian government has historically opposed linking trade negotiations to environmental and social standards, the report highlights how private actors, agribusiness, and transnational companies are increasingly forced to adopt these standards due to international market pressures, investment requirements, and unilateral measures from developed nations.

This 2009 report by Edmundo Claro for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the integration of sustainable development—specifically environmental and labor standards—into Chile's trade and investment policies. While Chile has actively included these themes in many of its free trade agreements (FTAs), the report identifies significant gaps in its foreign direct investment (FDI) framework and its approach to climate change.

This document is an abstract for a volume based on the 3rd roundtable of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, held in Stockholm in August 2004. It outlines the strategic importance of renewable energy cooperation between Europe and Asia to address energy security, economic competitiveness, and climate change, focusing particularly on the electric power sector and the transition of technologies from research and development to large-scale commercialisation.

This report by Friends of the Earth International critiques the European Union's 'Global Europe' strategy, arguing that its pursuit of a 'new generation' of bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) prioritizes the competitiveness of European transnational corporations over sustainable development, food sovereignty, and the sovereignty of developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

This report explores the governance challenges facing collaborative, multistakeholder enterprises that operate as non-legal entities by being hosted by other institutions. It identifies systemic vulnerabilities in accountability, fiduciary responsibility, and financial transparency, arguing that these entities often lack the rigorous governance discipline required of independent legal organizations.

This report examines the integration of sustainable development into the regional and bilateral trade arrangements of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), comprising South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland. It analyzes the tension between trade liberalization and national development goals, the impact of the SACU Revenue Sharing Formula, and the outcomes of various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The study concludes that most trade deals focus almost exclusively on market access, neglecting social and environmental pillars of sustainable development.

This report summarizes a September 2008 WTO Public Forum session organized by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE). The discussion, featuring legal experts, examined the evolution of WTO jurisprudence regarding environmental and health measures, the impact of the Brazil – Retreaded Tyres decision, and the specific challenges faced by developing countries in trade-environment dispute settlements.

This research paper by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) examines the role of trade liberalization in diffusing climate mitigation goods and the challenges associated with negotiating environmental goods and services (EGS) within the WTO Doha Round. It argues that while lowering trade barriers can reduce costs and facilitate technology transfer, liberalization alone is insufficient without complementary financial, regulatory, and technical assistance frameworks to support developing countries.

This report explores the development of environment and sustainable development (ESD) policies in K–12 schools in Manitoba and across Canada. It identifies three primary approaches to policy development: government-led "whole school" initiatives, independent certification and award programs, and individual school district policy development. The document highlights a gap between the advanced sustainability policy frameworks in the tertiary education sector and the more sporadic, often fragmented approach in K–12 education, particularly in Manitoba where many schools act without district-level mandates.

This briefing, published by the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, examines the complex relationship between international trade and climate change. It presents diverse perspectives on whether trade is a solution or a driver of the climate crisis, discussing the role of the European Union (EU), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the impact of trade policies on developing nations.

This fact sheet describes the 'Integrating Climate and Development' project in Thailand, a program running from March 2008 to December 2009. Funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and partnered with Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the project aims to fill the gap in concrete analysis regarding the integration of climate policies into national development plans.

This report documents a two-day colloquium held in April 2008 by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. The event aimed to bridge the conceptual and practical divide between resilience and vulnerability research to better support sustainable development and poverty reduction.

The report finds that Wales' 2003 ecological footprint was 5.16 gha per person, the lowest in the UK, but grew by 1.5% annually between 1990 and 2003. Housing, food, and transport account for 63% of this footprint. While planned policies may stabilize the footprint by 2020, substantial reductions require expanded measures: retrofitting 5% of housing annually, implementing Sustainable Travel Towns in all urban areas over 10,000 people, and reducing food waste by one sixth. Such a package could reduce the total ecological footprint by 6.6% by 2020, avoiding a projected 22% increase based on historical trends.

The document examines the controversy surrounding fisheries access arrangements in WTO negotiations, noting the conflict between Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that rely on access fees for development and the sustainability concerns regarding the practices of Distant Waters Fishing Nations (DWFNs) like Japan and the EU.

This research paper, published in December 2007 by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), provides a Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) of organic agriculture in Lao PDR. It examines the intersection of trade policies, environmental sustainability, and the growth of the organic sector, highlighting the potential for organic products to improve farmer livelihoods and environmental health while facing challenges in certification and market access.