International Institute for Sustainable Development
(Self-Description: Combined with Wikipedia entry: July 2008)
THE International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a Canada-based non-profit organization focused on improving the sustainability of the world. It was founded in 1990 with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency, Environment Canada and the provincial government of Manitoba.
At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, better known as the Earth Summit, IISD supported the activities of a small group of environmentalists who published a daily report of proceedings, the Earth Summit Bulletin, and thereafter hired most of them to continue their reporting work at post-Rio conferences.
Teams from IISD Reporting Services have since produced Earth Negotiations Bulletin reports on over 370 environment and development negotiating conferences, and over 140 smaller conferences and workshops on sustainability issues.
IISD currently has an annual budget of about 12 million dollars (Canadian) and a team of 150 staff and associated consultants from over 30 countries, who conduct research and reporting in a variety of areas related to sustainable development. IISD also hosts sustainability initiatives including the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST) and Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI). The Institute’s international Board of Directors includes recognized experts in the areas of business, environmental science, government, and international relations.
IISD receives financial support from Canadian federal and provincial governments as well as other national governments, UN agencies, foundations, and the private sector. The Institute is a registered charity in Canada and has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States.
IISD Linkages Web site at www.iisd.ca provides daily and summary reports of UN and other multilateral agencies’ international environmental and development negotiations. Posted on the Web site and offered through free mailing lists, this information increases transparency in the global development arena.
IISD deals with a variety of thematic areas, including:
- Climate Change and Energy
- Economics and Sustainable Development
- Foreign Investment for Sustainable Development
- Information Society
- International Trade
- Measurement and Assessment
- Natural Resources
- Networks and Partnerships
- Security
- Tomorrow’s Sustainable Development Leaders
www.iisd.org