Towards an Indicative List of FDI Sustainability Characteristics

By Karl P. Sauvant and Howard Mann, Published by E15 Initiative, October 2017

To meet the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change commitments, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows would have to increase significantly. However, the issue is not only more FDI, but the right kind of FDI—what is referred to as “sustainable FDI,” that is, investment that has certain sustainability characteristics. The paper seeks to make an important contribution to the international investment debate by highlighting particular desirable characteristics of FDI, outlining how these can be promoted and encouraged, and providing guidance so that national and international efforts in investment law and policy contribute fully to the achievement of these goals. Available at http://e15initiative.org/publications/towards-an-indicative-list-of-fdi-sustainability-characteristics