Investment for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is an investment issue. Capital is needed to alleviate poverty, create jobs, accelerate the clean energy transition and allow for the development of much-needed infrastructure to provide goods and services for all. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an important source of that capital.
But investment does not come without risks. How can we ensure investments are made responsibly, without harming people, the environment or the local economy?
IISD works with governments and civil society to develop and improve legal and policy tools focusing on the critical linkage between investment and sustainable development. We look for and provide new approaches to ensure that investment law and policy advance environmentally sound investment that generates broad socioeconomic benefits. In particular, IISD experts examine how the rules and institutions that govern international investment flows can be improved to benefit developing countries.
- Best Practices
IISD Best Practices Series: The Most-Favoured-Nation Clause in Investment Treaties
This IISD Best Practices paper studies the most-favoured-nation (MFN) clause in investment treaties and its interpretation by arbitral tribunals, drawing lessons for states.
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IISD Best Practices Series: Exhaustion of Local Remedies in International Investment Law
Part of IISD’s Best Practices Series, this advisory bulletin reviews state-of-the-art options and approaches to the exhaustion of local remedies requirement in international investment law.
Read More - Briefing Note
Private Investments and Agriculture: The importance of integrating sustainability into planning and implementation
Recently, we have seen an increase in large-scale investment into agriculture. An important policy question is to what extent these large-scale agricultural investment contribute to improving local livelihoods, as well as economic and environmental conditions.
Read More - Newsletter
Investment Treaty News Quarterly (ITN), Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2016
Investment Treaty News is IISD’s flagship quarterly journal on international investment law and policy.
Read More - Report
Mining a Mirage? Reassessing the shared-value paradigm in light of the technological advances in the mining sector
This report uses real-world mining data to estimate the impacts of new technologies on employment and employment-related procurement, which drive major benefits in host countries.
Read More - Report
Investment-Related Dispute Settlement: Towards an inclusive multilateral approach
This document outlines results from an IISD expert meeting discussing investment-related dispute settlement which was held in Montreux, Switzerland, May 23–24, 2016.
Read More - Briefing Note
Ending Hunger: What would it cost?
The International Institute for Sustainable Development and the International Food Policy Research Institute joined forces to estimate what it would cost to end hunger, and the contribution that donors need to make.
Read More - Blog
A Sliver of Light in a Controversial Nuclear Power Arbitration
A phase-out of nuclear power has triggered a controversial legal dispute with Vattenfall, a Swedish state-owned energy company, which operated and owned two nuclear reactors. The legal proceedings have so far been highly secrete, but that is changing with a decision to open up the hearings to the public.
Read More - Newsletter
Investment Treaty News Quarterly (ITN), Volume 7, Issue 3, August 2016
Investment Treaty News is IISD’s flagship quarterly journal on international investment law and policy.
Read More - Newsletter
Investment Treaty News Quarterly (ITN), Volume 7, Issue 2, May 2016
Investment Treaty News (ITN), published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), is a quarterly journal on international investment law and policy and sustainable development.
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