A Sustainability Toolkit for Trade Negotiators:

Trade and investment as vehicles for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda

About Us

International Institute for Sustainable Development

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is one of the world’s leading centres of research and innovation. The Institute provides practical solutions to the growing challenges and opportunities of integrating environmental and social priorities with economic development. We report on international negotiations and share knowledge gained through collaborative projects, resulting in more rigorous research, stronger global networks, and better engagement among researchers, citizens, businesses and policy-makers.

IISD is registered as a charitable organization in Canada and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States. IISD receives core operating support from the Government of Canada, provided through the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and from the Province of Manitoba. The Institute receives project funding from numerous governments inside and outside Canada, United Nations agencies, foundations, the private sector, and individuals.

 

United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment)

UN Environment is the overall coordinating environmental organization of the United Nations system. Its mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UN Environment’s Resource and Market Branch (RMB) is part of the Economy Division. RMB’s mission is to enhance the capacities of countries, especially developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to integrate environmental considerations into development planning and macroeconomic policies, including trade policies. A key workstream of the RMB is the “Inclusive Green Economy” initiative, which is designed to assist governments in “greening” their economies by reshaping and refocusing policies, investments and spending, for example towards deployment of renewable energy, clean technologies, water services, sustainable transportation, waste management, green buildings and cities, and sustainable agriculture, forests and tourism.

The Environment and Trade Hub

The Environment and Trade Hub, formally launched in 2015, serves as the overarching delivery mechanism for UN Environment’s work on trade. As a demand-driven mechanism, the Environment and Trade Hub offers capacity building and related policy advice on sustainable trade and investment that are tailored to local needs and circumstances. Its mission is to enable countries to use trade and investment as vehicles for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The specific objectives of the Environment and Trade Hub are to:

  • Enhance the capacity of countries to design and implement trade policies that foster environmental sustainability and human well-being;
  • Assist countries in the realization of trade opportunities arising from a transition to greener economies;
  • Strengthen the sustainability aspects of cross-border trade and investment agreements in bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral negotiations;
  • Realize a shift of trade practices and trends to more sustainable patterns.

 

For more information, please contact:

Environment and Trade Hub

Email: unenvironment-trade@un.org

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