The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Law School and Columbia Climate School at Columbia University, works to strengthen the sustainable development potential of international investment, and to ensure that international investment is mutually beneficial for investors and the citizens of recipient countries. We envision a world in which international investment contributes to, and does not undermine, sustainable development.
We develop and disseminate practical approaches to maximize the benefits of international investment for sustainable development—and to minimize its harms—by conducting rigorous research, providing policy analysis and advisory services, offering educational programs, developing tools and resources, and fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and knowledge-sharing.
We integrate legal, economic, and policy expertise, and approach sustainable investment holistically, bridging diverse disciplines, including investment law, natural resource management, human rights law, economics, political economy, finance, and climate change policy. One of our great strengths lies in having knowledgeable perspective across the range of stakeholders, tools, policies, and practices that shape investment flows and outcomes. This allows us to work across communities of practice and with different stakeholder groups, and to provide insight and solutions at the intersections of these often-siloed areas relevant to sustainable investment.
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Resources
Displaying 11 - 15 of 41Don't Throw Caution to the Wind: In the green energy transition, not all critical minerals will be goldmines
This note proves recommendations for governments, international actors, and mining advocates who seek to optimize the value of green energy mineral reserves, to ensure that expectations for green energy materials do not replace careful planning, impact assessment, and allocation of risks, as well as prevent over-production.
Agricultural Investments: A Primer for Host Government Lawyers and Local Lawyers in Private Practice
This primer provides an introduction to some of the key issues that arise in the negotiation of contracts linked to investments in agriculture, and practical guidance for how to approach common issues. First, it outlines the typical goals of three important stakeholders – the government, companies, and communities who live on or near land on which a project will take place – along with the risks that each type of stakeholder faces. Then, it discusses the role of contracts and lawyers, provides tips for negotiations, and includes resources for further reading.
The role of indigenous communities in reducing climate change through sustainable land use practices
The climate crisis demands urgent action, yet we live in a politically polarized and paralyzed world. As governments and other actors struggle over climate change, our environment is irreversibly changing. A United Nations report on the Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services revealed that three-quarters of the earth’s land-based environment has been significantly altered by human actions.
Briefing for Grassroots Organizations – Bridging the Information Gap: How Access to Land Contracts Can Serve Community Rights
This note provides guidance for civil society actors and communities on how to access and how to use the information contained in contracts with companies to be able to:
• Understand company and government obligations related to a company project;
• Monitor whether those obligations are being fulfilled;
• Hold companies and the government to account for bad contracts or for failing to deliver on commitments that are important to communities.
Community-Investor Negotiation Guide 1: Preparing in Advance for Potential Investors
Deciding whether or not to allow an investor to use community lands and natural resources is one of the most important decisions a community can make.
When negotiations are conducted fairly and inclusively, investments may result in the creation of jobs, provision of much-needed infrastructure such as schools, roads and clinics, and rental payments that have the potential to support the community’s long-term prosperity and wellbeing.