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The Sustainable Development Timeline is a fact sheet published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that chronicles key environmental, social, and economic milestones from 1962 to 2005. It tracks the evolution of sustainable development through the formation of advocacy organizations, the publication of influential scientific reports, the adoption of international treaties, and the occurrence of major environmental disasters.

This policy brief series by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and IUCN examines the intersection of international trade, foreign aid, and security. It argues that current global trade rules and aid practices often exacerbate instability and conflict in developing countries by promoting economic dependence on volatile primary commodities, maintaining inequitable market access, and supporting unaccountable regimes. The document proposes a shift toward 'conflict-sensitive' policies, including the restriction of 'conflict resources,' the promotion of transparent natural resource revenue management, and the implementation of responsible business conduct to prevent the funding of violent conflicts.

This report by the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE) analyzes tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting five select Nepalese agricultural exports: tea, natural honey, floriculture, medicinal plants, and vegetable seeds. It examines market access across 12 international markets, distinguishing between the high tariff barriers found in neighboring South Asian countries and the high incidence of non-tariff measures (NTMs) in developed economies.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) argues that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) requires the integration of environmentally sustainable strategies across all goals, specifically focusing on freshwater, energy, and sanitation. The study identifies significant gaps in current MDG planning, particularly regarding the water requirements for food production and the need for innovative sanitation solutions. It estimates that an annual investment of USD 107 billion is required between 2005 and 2015 to meet targets for water, food, sanitation, and energy using sustainable pathways.

This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law examines the environmental implications of Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations within the WTO Doha Development Agenda. It focuses on two primary areas: the informal pursuit of sectoral agreements for total tariff elimination in environmentally-sensitive sectors and the classification and negotiation of non-tariff barriers (NTBs). The document argues that environmental considerations are being neglected in tariff negotiations and warns against the potential for NTB negotiations to undermine legitimate public policy objectives regarding health, safety, and environmental protection.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the ongoing WTO negotiations on environmental goods. It argues that current lists of goods for liberalization are dominated by developed countries and proposes including environmentally preferable products (EPPs) and implementing Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) to ensure a balanced distribution of trade gains for developing nations.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on its ability to provide a "development dividend"—socio-economic and environmental benefits for developing countries beyond greenhouse gas reductions. The analysis finds that the emerging CDM market is skewed toward a few large developing countries and dominated by low-cost industrial projects (such as HFC23 decomposition) that offer minimal sustainable development benefits. The report recommends reforming the CDM Executive Board, shifting from project-by-project to sectoral or policy-based approaches, and increasing support for small-scale projects to ensure more equitable and impactful development outcomes.

This executive summary evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on its ability to provide a "development dividend"—benefits to developing countries in economic growth, technology, poverty alleviation, and health beyond climate mitigation. The authors argue that the current project pipeline is under-performing, skewed toward a few countries, and dominated by low-development-benefit industrial gas projects, necessitating reforms in project cycles, rules, and international financing to ensure sustainable development goals are met.

This research paper by Oli Brown for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the evolving relationship between environmental degradation, natural resource management, and global security. It traces the discourse from the Cold War era to the post-Cold War rise in intra-state conflicts, outlining four primary theoretical approaches to environmental security and proposing practical policy interventions to mitigate conflict driven by both resource scarcity and abundance.

This 2005 IISD report examines food security as a fundamental human right, moving beyond simple supply metrics to include distribution and individual access. It evaluates four strategies for achieving food security: food self-sufficiency, trade liberalization, food sovereignty, and multi-functional agriculture. The report argues that while trade can stabilize supply, it can also undermine local production and increase vulnerability. It concludes that a pragmatic approach combining flexible trade rules with national policy space and sustainable agricultural practices is necessary to ensure long-term food security.

This research paper, written for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, examines the conceptual and methodological frameworks for full cost accounting (FCA) in agriculture. It defines FCA as the process of valuing environmental and social costs and benefits external to the market, aiming to provide policy makers and farmers with better information for decision-making. The document details various valuation methods—including market-based, circumstantial, and survey-based approaches—and discusses ecosystem frameworks like those from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. It applies these theories to case studies in the UK, Japan, and other regions to illustrate how agricultural externalities, such as water pollution and biodiversity loss, can be quantified.

The 'Standards for Sustainable Trade' project, implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the European Commission, investigated how regional cooperation can reduce technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for developing countries. The report concludes that while regional centers of excellence can offset national capacity gaps, the WTO's TBT Agreement is often unrealistic for developing nations, which act as 'standards takers' rather than 'makers' due to a lack of institutional and scientific resources.

This commemorative report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), published in June 2001, celebrates its 30th anniversary by documenting community-led sustainability projects across its global network of 66 independent groups. The document highlights local initiatives in forest preservation, organic food systems, biodiversity conservation, climate action, and resistance to neoliberal economic globalization.

A 1999 guide by CIEL explaining how citizens can use the World Bank Inspection Panel to report policy violations in development projects. It details eligibility criteria, the investigation process, the limitations of the Panel's power, and the risks of borrower reprisals.

This report summarizes a May 1997 search conference convened by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the North-South Institute (NSI). The conference aimed to implement recommendations from the November 1996 'Connecting with the World' report, advocating for the integration of knowledge and information and communication technologies (ICTs) into Canadian foreign policy to enhance international development and Canada's transition to a knowledge-based economy.

This report summarizes the first part of a two-part document detailing a July 2012 UNFCCC regional expert meeting on Loss and Damage held in Mexico City. It highlights the disparity in policy attention between extreme weather events and slow-onset climate processes in Latin America and the Caribbean, and calls for integrated risk-management approaches to address these gaps.

A commemorative statement from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) honoring the life and legacy of Professor Saleemul Huq (1952-2023), a scientist and advocate for climate justice and southern leadership in climate action.

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) proposes ten propositions to help countries integrate their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into national development planning. Drawing on evidence from seven countries—Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Peru, and Uganda—the paper argues that successful integration requires a combination of policy coherence, institutional leadership, and transparent resource management to ensure climate actions are not isolated from mainstream economic development.

This guide describes the mission, strategic themes, and operational approach of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), an alliance managed by six organizations to help developing countries implement climate-compatible development activities.

This fact sheet describes the mission, strategic themes, and operational achievements of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), an alliance of six organisations dedicated to helping developing countries implement climate compatible development.