By Thierry Berger and Jesse Coleman
March 5, 2018
During investor-state arbitrations, the rights and interests of local communities are often overlooked. A recent webinar discussed mechanisms that are getting the concerns of local communities on the table.
By Jesse Coleman, Brooke Güven, Lise Johnson, and Lisa Sachs
February 21, 2018
The authors discuss calls for “investment facilitation,” highlighting aspects of the potential investment facilitation agenda that could advance sustainable development and those that may ultimately undermine it.
February 19, 2018
In this alumni profile, Odenda Lumumba, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Land Alliance and a 2016 Executive Training alumnus, provides insights into work as a human rights advocate specializing in land issues.
By Kelly D. Ward
January 29, 2018
Samuel Nguiffo, founder of Cameroon’s Centre for Environment and Development, explains how he uses OpenLandContracts.org, a unique tool created by the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment.
January 23, 2018
In this blog post, CCSI speaks with Justine Sylvester, an advisor to the Land and Livelihoods Program and Private Sector Engagement at Village Focus International and alum of the CCSI’s Executive Training on Sustainable Investments in Agriculture program. Justine explains how OpenLandContracts.org has influenced her work and how it can be used to “level the playing field” between investors, governments, and communities.
By Nathan Lobel
January 16, 2018
In the face of ever-greater urgency to act on climate, and few prospects for action at the federal level, Mayor Bill de Blasio built upon New York City’s already impressive record on climate with a big announcement last week: first, New York City would divest its $189 billion pension funds from fossil fuel companies. And second, the city would sue five oil majors—BP, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Exxon, and Royal Dutch Shell—for their contributions to climate change and efforts to cover up scientific evidence of its reality. These are important steps in the transition away from fossil fuels toward a clean energy future. Institutions should use all available tools—including investment funds and the courts—to press for a just and sustainable future.
By Nathan Lobel
January 10, 2018
Governments continue to use incentives to attract and hold corporate investment. In Rethinking Investment Incentives: Trends and Policy Options edited by Ana Teresa Tavares-Lehmann, Perrine Toledano, Lise Johnson, and Lisa Sachs (Columbia University Press, July 2016), several distinguished experts question some of the core assumptions that lead to these deals. In doing so, they identify key issues for policymakers and propose best practices to help governments get the most bang for their buck.
By Lise Johnson, Brooke Skartvedt Güven, and Jesse Coleman
December 11, 2017
In this blog post, the first part of a two-part series, Lise Johnson, Brooke Skartvedt Güven, and Jesse Coleman raise questions regarding the effectiveness of investor-state dispute settlement in achieving its stated objectives.
By Sarah Cruz
December 4, 2017
In this blog post, Sarah Cruz summarizes the highlights from CCSI’s participation in the 44th Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security.
November 21, 2017
In this video, Michael Jarvis, Executive Director of the Transparency and Accountability Initiative, speaks about OpenLandContracts.org, and what changes in resource contract transparency mean for stakeholders seeking to improve governance and accountability around investments.