User:CunninghamD E/sandbox

'''International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) '''

Organization overview/description:

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental research organization founded in Canada in 1990. IISD is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba and has additional offices in Ottawa, New York, and Geneva.

Between 1990 and 2009, IISD focused its policy and research efforts in six core areas:
 * International trade and investment
 * Economic policy
 * Climate change and energy
 * Measurement and assessment, Natural resources management, and
 * The role of communication technologies in sustainable development

The Institute’s most recent strategic plan [http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2011/annrep_2010_2011_en.pdf, pages. 9-11.] increases its emphasis on transformative change by focusing on the research and implementation of 12 thematic areas related to three topics:

Macroeconomic policy
 * Trade Policies that Combat Climate Change
 * Sustainable Investment
 * Phase-out of Subsidies that Undermine Sustainable Development

Governance arrangements and processes
 * A Constructive Catalyst Within International Negotiations
 * North American Approaches to Climate Change
 * Transparency and Accountability: The role of reporting services
 * Global Connectivity
 * Accountability for a Sustainable Economy

Management of ecological and social systems
 * Adaptation, Risk Reduction and Resilience
 * Communicating the Value of Ecological Goods and Services
 * Environmental Management for Peace and Security
 * Sustainable Markets and Responsible Trade

In 2004, a GlobeScan survey declared IISD the most effective sustainable development research organization. The survey asked participating sustainability experts to name up to four sustainability research organizations they considered to be most effective. IISD ranked highest by being named by a quarter of the respondents.

IISD has over 100 staff and associates working in over 30 countries.

Vision and mission: IISD’s vision is better living for all—sustainably. IISD’s mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably.

IISD Reporting Services: IISD’s Reporting Services Division provides independent coverage of intergovernmental policy-making efforts related to the environment and sustainable development, including daily reporting, analysis and photos of international environment and development negotiations and events.

Reporting Services’ flagship publication, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) is recognized internationally for balanced, timely and independent reporting of daily information regarding multilateral environmental and sustainable development negotiations.

ENB has its origins as The Earth Summit Bulletin, created in March 1992 by Johannah Bernstein, Pamela Chasek, and Langston James (Kimo) Goree VI. This team broke new ground with daily reports of the five-week meeting of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Fourth Preparatory Committee, gaining recognition and additional funds to provide coverage of the June 1992 conference in Rio.

Linkages[www.iisd.ca] is Reporting Service’s digital home and houses an archive of reports, photos and documents from over 20 years of meeting coverage.

Linkages also houses a number of other resources including: Electronic mailing lists like:
 * Your Meeting Bulletin
 * Linkages Update
 * MEA Bulletin
 * African Regional Coverage
 * Latin America and The Caribbean Regional Coverage, and
 * BioDiv-L
 * Chemicals-L
 * Climate-L
 * Forests-L
 * MEA-L
 * Oceans-L and
 * Water-L

The electronic mailings are especially valuable because they allow members of virtual communities to distribute information about upcoming meetings, events and webinars, new publications, funding opportunities, the availability of documentation for negotiations, and employment, scholarship and research opportunities.

Publications: The IISD online Publication Centre houses books, papers and other materials capturing much of IISD's institutional and research history. Publications are arranged by theme and include opinion pieces, video/audio files and corporate communication materials. Hard copies of many publications are available for sale. Some materials have been translated into other languages such as French, Spanish and Mandarin.

Funding: IISD is a registered charity in Canada and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States. The Institute was initially funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, Environment Canada and the Manitoba government.

The Institute’s funding base has since broadened and includes a wider range of Canadian provincial and federal government departments and agencies, private sector and philanthropic foundation donors, United Nation agencies, and international government department and agencies.

External Links

Azimuth Project IISD Profile University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: IISD Special Report Earth Negotiations Bulletin Celebrates 20th Anniversary Treehugger.com - Ramsar Wetland Convention Meeting in Korea: Getting The News From International Conferences Panos London Blog - Earth Summit's Speacial Correspondent YouTube - IISD Videos