Business and Sustainable Development

Business models for sustainable development

Business models for sustainable development aim to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits – the three pillars of sustainable development – through core business activities.

IIED's work on business models for sustainable development cuts across several areas of  research including  forestry, food and agriculture, energy and ICTs. Our research to date has identified a number of factors that contribute to the success of business models for sustainable development.

 

Sustainable utilisation of Nigeria's gas and renewable energy resources (SUNGAS)

This project aims to deliver access to modern energy services in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria via small-scale community-based initiatives.

Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development

Free Download: Complete documentation of our Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development project

mmsd logoThese pages collate all the material previously available from 'iied.org/mmsd'. All project documents, including the MMSD Working Paper Series, final reports, regional reports, project bulletins and workshop notes are available for free download.

Investment Briefings

This is a briefing series to support our work on direct investment and sustainable development.  These briefings provide accessible but accurate information for human rights, development and environmental organisations working on issues raised by foreign investment in low- and middle-income countries.
 

A new agenda for consumption

IIED is working on a study of sustainable consumption that aims to:

  • address consumption issues among poorer communities, countries and regions
  • create political space for opinions, values, demands and solutions from these constituencies
  • provide clear analysis and critique on how consumption problems and consumption solutions fall differentially on different social groups internationally

New business models for sustainable trade

This new collaborative initiative will engage research, civil society and private sector partners to develop new business models that enable smallholders to participate in sustainable trading relationships with international businesses and thereby improve their livelihoods.

Energy and sustainable development

The world is facing an energy crisis with major global and local implications. Energy issues need to be addressed holistically, based on integrated models and approaches and involving multiple stakeholders. IIED's work on energy currently focuses on two key areas: governance of large-scale energy sector development (oil, gas, biofuels); and models for delivery of sustainable decentralised energy services.

Forest Connect: linking small and medium forest enterprises to markets and services

Many small and medium forest enterprises work together in associations to reduce transaction costs, adapt to new market opportunities and shape the policy environment in their favour. But in least developed countries, support structures for such forest associations either do not exist or fail to reach those who need help most.

Legal empowerment in investment projects

Where local resource rights are weak, investment projects may undermine the ability of local groups to access the resources on which they depend. Weakness of local resource rights may also undermine the position of local resource users in their negotiations with incoming investors; and therefore limit their ability to benefit from investment projects through negotiated benefit-sharing arrangements.

Sustainable development co-operation with BP-Azerbaijan

Petroleum giant BP is the single largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan. IIED has been working in an innovative sustainable development cooperation agreement with BP's communications and external affairs team in Azerbaijan.

Lifting the lid on foreign investment contracts

This work focuses on deals between foreign investors and governments. The terms of these deals have major implications for whether investment projects bring real benefits for the people and environments where they take place, or whether they undermine sustainable development.

Extractive industries and indigenous and local communities

This area of work explores the local sustainable development implications of relations between extractive industries, communities and the state. We have a major focus on Arctic communities particularly in Russia. We also seek to facilitate communication between communities in different parts of the world who share similar experiences.

Towards good practice in the oil and gas contracting chain

In this project we are investigating the relationships between multinational oil and gas companies and their local contractors. We focus on the environmental and social performance of local contractors and the ways in which multinational oil and gas companies ensure that sustainable development principles are adhered to along the supply chain. Our analysis  focuses on two countries of the Former Soviet Union - Russia and Kazakhstan.
 

Mining and Community Development Framework for Kosovo

IIED collaborated with Riinvest Institute, Pristina, in a World Bank-funded project to develop a community development framework and community development guidelines. For IIED, the project built on our substantial experience working to analyse the public sector dimensions of efforts to encourage ‘corporate social responsibility'. It also raised the question ‘how can public sector actors catalyse and incentivise business good practice for local community development'?

History of IIED Work on Business and Sustainable Development

IIED has long worked on the relationship between business and sustainable development. Past experience included major World Business Council for Sustainable Development-supported studies and advocacy on the pulp and paper industry and the mining and minerals sector.

Project finance, sustainable development and human rights

This research analyses a particular way in which financial markets and global investment policies influence the major issues of sustainable development, poverty reduction and human rights.

 

Investment promotion agencies and responsible business

In this project we identified practical opportunities for investment promotion agencies to promote responsible inward investment that can help host countries to achieve sustainable development.