International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a nonprofit organization founded in March 1990, dedicated to promoting human innovation to achieve sustainable development. Based in Winnipeg, Canada, with additional offices in Ottawa, New York City, and Geneva, IISD collaborates with various governments and non-governmental organizations to conduct research and share information on sustainable development practices. The institute was established following the 1987 Brundtland Report, which introduced the concept of sustainable development, emphasizing the need to balance present and future societal goals while addressing environmental concerns.
IISD's mission encompasses three main pillars: environmental health, economic prosperity, and improved living standards for all. Its work is structured around six key programs, including trade and investment, sustainable natural resources management, climate change, and reporting services. Notably, IISD was a pioneer in using the Internet for disseminating information, launching the online Earth Summit Bulletin in 1992 to cover significant international environmental events. The institute has partnered with over two hundred organizations worldwide, reflecting its commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation in the pursuit of sustainable development.
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International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
IDENTIFICATION: Nonprofit organization devoted to promoting human innovation to achieve sustainable development
DATE: Founded in March, 1990
The International Institute for Sustainable Development plays an important role in environmental protection by working with other nongovernmental organizations and with government agencies to conduct research and disseminate information about the benefits of sustainable development.
In 1983, the United Nations convened the World Commission on Environment and Development to address rising international concerns about a degraded global and endangered natural resources. The findings of this commission (commonly known as the Brundtland Commission, for its chair, Gro Harlem Brundtland) were compiled and published in 1987 under the title Our Common Future. This report introduced the rubric “sustainable development,” a long-term view of development that incorporates concerns for the needs of future generations in efforts to meet present-time goals. Sustainable development emphasizes direct assistance in meeting the needs of the world’s impoverished communities and clear-eyed assessment of the influences of technology and social organization on efforts to meet the present and future needs of the global community. Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, was the first document of its kind to connect economic activity to the state of the global environment.
In 1988, Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney announced to the United Nations General Assembly that Canada was planning to build a center for sustainable development in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its mission would be to work on issues related to sustainable development with the United Nations Environment Programme and other international institutions dedicated to environmental affairs. The funding agreement to create the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) was signed in March 1990.
IISD was conceived as an institution independent of government and business entities. This independent stature enabled its founders to attract highly skilled directors and to create funding structures that would not create conflicts of interest within the intergovernmental network. The stated mission of IISD is to promote human innovation to achieve sustainable development as defined and measured by environmental health, economic prosperity, and better living standards for all peoples. The institute focuses on six key programs: trade and investment, sustainable natural resources management, measurement and assessment, climate change and energy, global connectivity, and reporting services. IISD is headquartered in Winnipeg and has branch offices in Ottawa, Ontario, New York City, and Geneva, Switzerland. More than two hundred organizations around the world have worked with IISD on its various projects and programs.
IISD was one of the first institutions to recognize the potential of the Internet to disseminate timely information about sustainable development. It created the online Earth Summit Bulletin in 1992 to report on the proceedings of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (also known as the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June of that year. IISD continues to publish the bulletin online under the title Earth Negotiations Bulletin; it covers all U.N. conferences and summits related to the environment.
Bibliography
Challis, Becca. "How Can Work with Nature to Tackle Drought and Desertification?" International Institute for Sustainable Development, 14 June 2024, ww.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/nature-tackle-drought-desertification. Accessed 18 July 2024.
"Climate." International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024, www.iisd.org/focus-areas/climate. Accessed 18 July 2024.
"Volatile Costs of Energy Were a Key Driver of Recent Inflation and Continue to Impact Affordability." International Institute for Sustainable Development, 17 July 2024, www.iisd.org/articles/press-release/fossil-fuel-energy-drive-inflation. Accessed 18 July 2024.
World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. Washington, D.C.: Author, 1987.