What we do


The Institute for Environmental Security (IES) is an international non-profit non-governmental organisation established in 2002 in The Hague, in order to increase political attention to environmental security as a means to help safeguard essential conditions for peace and sustainable development.

The Institute's mission is: "To advance global environmental security by promoting the maintenance of the regenerative capacity  of life-supporting eco-systems."


IES was established through the collaborative efforts of:

Programme Areas and Objectives:

Our multidisciplinary approach integrates the fields of science, diplomacy, law, finance and education with the following key objectives and activities:

Science: Create enhanced decision tools for foreign policy makers, donors and their target groups on regional, national and local levels through:

  • Mapping and integrating environmental security challenges into foreign policy,
  • Publishing and disseminating multidisciplinary research-based policy options and educational materials,
  • Stimulating the emergence of eco-regional networks and partnerships, and
  • Providing expert briefings for decision makers.

Diplomacy: Promote effective linkages between environment, security and sustainable development policies through:

  • Monitoring and reporting on relevant governmental and international sustainable development strategies,
  • Collecting and sharing information on relevant research and NGO activities,
  • Promoting networking partnerships and campaigning for Environmental Security, and
  • Facilitating informed dialogue between experts and policy officials.

Law: Contribute to the development of a more effective system of international law and governance through:

  • Promoting consistency among and between MEAs and agreements on investment and trade,
  • Fostering recognition of the rights and responsibilities of both state and non-state actors,
  • Strengthening environmental dispute resolution, and
  • Formulating policy models and options for global environmental governance.

Finance: Introduce new and innovative financial mechanisms for the maintenance of the globe's life supporting ecosystems through:

  • Developing replicable payment and incentive systems for the sustainable delivery of environmental goods and services,
  • Stimulating market and/or treaty based investment programmes, including public-private partnerships,
  • Assessing the feasibility, over time, to set up a global clearing house for the payment of environmental goods and services, and
  • Promoting eco-regional approaches as essential building blocks for the traditional world economy on the basis of targeted research involving quantitative economic models, case studies on particular eco-regions, and best practices.

Education: Build the environmental knowledge capital of people and organisations through:

  • Providing web-based knowledge resources on environmental security,
  • Deploying e-communications, e-leaning and e-collaboration tools for raising public awareness,
  • Promoting leadership in sustainable development through education and training, and
  • Enabling the assessment and certification of environmental knowledge capital.

Context:

Our mission and programme should be seen in the context of promoting international sustainable development goals and as a contribution toward long-term poverty alleviation as advocated in:

Affiliations: