Sustainability training programs
Introduction
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank founded in 1990 that works to define and inform international policies on sustainable development governance.[1] The IISD has 3 offices in Canada (Winnipeg, Ottawa and Toronto) and one in Geneva, Switzerland. It has more than 150 employees and associates distributed in more than 30 countries.
The IISD is registered in Canada as a charitable organization.[2].
History and organization
In 1988, at the United Nations General Assembly, then-Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced plans to establish a center that would internationally promote sustainable development, based in Winnipeg.[3] The new center would be part of Canada's contribution to preparations for what would become the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[4] Two years later, in In 1990, the IISD was formally established, following the signing of an agreement between the then Minister of the Environment of Canada, Lucien Bouchard, and the Premier of Manitoba, Gary Filmon.[5].
In 1992, IISD became the headquarters of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, a journalistic information service on global negotiations on environment and development.[6].
In 2016, IISD launched the Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Hub (SDG Knowledge Hub), a site dedicated to providing news updates, commentary, analysis, calendars and guest articles on how the Sustainable Development Goals are being achieved (or not achieved).
Starting in 2022, the Institute's daily work is currently structured around the CREATE framework (Climate, Resources, Economies, Joint Action and Engagement), which will guide its work until 2025. The pillars of this framework are implemented through IISD's 5 programs: Economic Law and Policy, Energy, Resilience, Monitoring Progress and Water.[7].
In the decade 2011-2020, IISD has expanded its programmatic work to include the secretariat of various intergovernmental forums, networks and alliances. Among them are the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF)[8] and the Global Network of National Adaptation Plans (to climate change).
The IISD manages the Secretariat International Support Office (SISO) of the Chinese Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED).[9] On November 11, 2021, the IISD announced that it would be the first permanent secretariat of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA, aimed at moving away from fossil fuels, which cause climate change).[10].