The International Institute for Sustainable Development is a Canadian-based, international public policy research institute for sustainable development.
Since it was first articulated in the Brundtland Commission’s Our Common Future in 1987, sustainable development has never been superseded by a more compelling or universally-acceptable expression of humanity’s shared goals. At its simplest level, any form of development that is not sustainable contains the seeds of its own destruction. For development to be sustainable, it must not only generate wealth: it must also advance social justice, reduce and eventually eliminate poverty, and remain within the limits imposed by ecosystem and resource resilience.
IISD has chosen to focus on topics that are ripe for transformation—where a shift in policy has the potential to snowball and, before too long, to change the nature of the game. It is only through a focus on game-changers that we will make up the sustainability deficit that has accumulated and move towards a better future.