International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is a nonprofit international organization based in London, established in 1971 by economist Barbara Ward. IIED focuses on tackling global poverty while promoting the sustainable management of natural resources. The organization is recognized for its pioneering work in linking environmental issues with development, positioning itself as a key player in significant international environmental conferences, including the Earth Summit and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
IIED’s mission is to build a fairer, more sustainable world through evidence-based action and collaboration. Its research emphasizes the needs of vulnerable populations, ensuring their voices are heard in environmental policy-making. The institute operates across five main areas: natural resources, climate change, human settlements, sustainable markets, and governance. Notably, IIED has developed methodologies for ecotaxation and green accounting, influencing both government and corporate practices. Moreover, the organization plays a crucial role in addressing climate change, particularly for the least developed countries and small island states, by equipping decision-makers with the necessary tools for effective adaptation strategies.
Subject Terms
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
IDENTIFICATION: Nonprofit international environmental research and advocacy organization
DATE: Established in 1971
The International Institute for Environment and Development works to address global poverty and to promote the sustainable management of the world’s natural resources.
The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), which is based in London, was launched in 1971 by Barbara Ward, a world-renowned economist and policy adviser. IIED is considered to be one of the first nonprofit organizations to link the with development. The stated mission of the IIED is “to build a fairer, more sustainable world, using evidence, action and influence in partnership with others.” Since its creation, IIED has played a key role in shaping major environment-related international conferences, including the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the 1992 Earth Summit, and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development.
IIED’s research and development work is centered on addressing the local needs of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. The organization’s aim is to ensure that these people, the disadvantaged, have a say in the environmental policies that affect them. In collaboration with grassroots partner organizations, IIED works to develop programs that are relevant to the needs of disadvantaged populations. The five major program areas on which IIED focuses are as follows: natural resources, including sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, drylands, and forestry; climate change, including mitigation, adaptation, and vulnerability; human settlements and related areas, such as urban poverty, urban environment, and rural-urban interactions; sustainable markets, especially environmental economics, corporate responsibility, market reorganization, and trade; and governance, local and global, in the areas of law and planning.
Over the years, IIED has developed core concepts and methods for addressing the relationship between sustainable development and social issues. Some of the first ecotaxation and green accounting methodologies, now used by many governments and businesses, were developed by economists at IIED. Consultation with IIED has led a number of companies to improve how they address the environmental problems created by their processes and to develop best management practices to protect and conserve natural resources. IIED has also helped develop methodologies that promote public participation in environment-related decisions; these visual techniques are now widely used by the international and local development communities to encourage the airing of ideas and views.
IIED has been very involved in shaping the global debate on climate change. The organization’s climate change programs focus on the least developed countries and on small island developing states, with particular attention to the economics of climate change adaptations. Many small island countries are vulnerable to the sea-level rises projected as a result of climate change. IIED seeks to provide decision makers with the tools and options they need to take appropriate and effective measures in adapting to climate change.
Connecting Decarbonization and Social Justice in Cities. International Institute for Environment and Development, Apr. 2024.
Gender, Climate Finances and Inclusive Low-Carbon Transitions. International Institute for Environment and Development, Sept 2023.
"International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)." Global Resilience Partnership, 2024, www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/partner/iied-international-institute-for-environment-and-development/. Accessed 18 July 2024.