The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute, Columbia University, is the only university-based applied research center and forum dedicated to the study, practice and discussion of sustainable international investment. It develops practical approaches for governments, investors, communities, and other stakeholders to maximize the benefits of international investment for sustainable development. Applying its legal, economic, and policy expertise, CCSI addresses sustainable investment holistically, bridging investment law, natural resource management, human rights, economics, political economy, and environmental management. It 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.
Publications from 2023
Memo/Briefing Note: Comments on U.S. Funding for GHG Corporate Reporting Standardization, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment and Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
Report/Policy Paper: Net Zero Roadmap for Copper and Nickel, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Carbon Trust, RMI, and Payne Institute for Public Policy
Publications from 2022
Memo/Briefing Note: CCSI’s Consolidated Feedback on the WBA Draft Nature Benchmark Methodology, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: Climate Action Needs Investment Governance, Not Investment Protection and Arbitration, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: International Investment Governance and Achieving a Just Zero-Carbon Future, Ella Merrill, Martin Dietrich Brauch, and Lisa E. Sachs
Memo/Briefing Note: International Investment Law and the Extractive Industries, Ella Merrill, Jesse Coleman, Lisa E. Sachs, and Lise Johnson
Memo/Briefing Note: North Africa Can Reduce Europe's Dependence on Russian Gas by Transporting Wasted Gas Through Existing Infrastructure, Mark Davis, Perrine Toledano, and Thomas Schorr
Memo/Briefing Note: PLUS Politics: Tackling the EIA Impact Gap, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Report/Policy Paper: Allocation of Climate-Related Risks in Investor–State Mining Contracts, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Perrine Toledano, and Cody Aceveda
Report/Policy Paper: Business Guide: Respecting the Human Rights of Communities in Wind and Solar Project Deployment, Sarah Dolton-Zborowski and Sam Szoke-Burke
Report/Policy Paper: Conflicts Between GHG Accounting Methodologies in the Steel Industry, John Biberman, Perrine Toledano, Baihui Lei, Max Lulavy, and Rohini Ram Mohan
Report/Policy Paper: How Much Have the Oil Supermajors Contributed to Climate Change?, Jiarui Chen, Perrine Toledano, and Martin Dietrich Brauch
Report/Policy Paper: Investment Incentives: A Survey of Policies and Approaches for Sustainable Investment, Lise Johnson and Perrine Toledano
Report/Policy Paper: Legal Primer: Respecting the Human Rights of Communities in Wind and Solar Project Deployment, Sarah Dolton-Zborowski and Sam Szoke-Burke
Report/Policy Paper: Legal Provisions on Shared Use of Mining Infrastructure: Rail, Port, and Power, Logan Hinderliter, Martin Dietrich Brauch, and Perrine Toledano
Report/Policy Paper: New Producer Contract Terms and Uncertainty: Lessons From the Recent Past, Patrick R.P. Heller, Perrine Toledano, David Mihalyi, and Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye
Report/Policy Paper: Roadmap to Zero-Carbon Electrification of Africa by 2050: The Green Energy Transition and the Role of the Natural Resource Sector (Minerals, Fossil Fuels, and Land), Jeffrey D. Sachs, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye, Efosa Uwaifo, and Bryan Michael Sherrill
Report/Policy Paper: Scaling Investment in Renewable Energy Generation to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action) and the Paris Agreement: Roadblocks and Drivers, Mithatcan Aydos, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Ladan Mehranvar, Theodoros Iliopoulos, and Sunayana Sasmal
Report/Policy Paper: Scaling Investment in Renewable Energy: Roadblocks and Drivers – Executive Summary, Mithatcan Aydos, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Ladan Mehranvar, Theodoros Iliopoulos, and Sunayana Sasmal
Report/Policy Paper: Supporting Good Governance of Extractive Industries in Politically Hostile Settings: Rethinking Approaches and Strategies, Leila Kazemi and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira
Report/Policy Paper: The Role of Investment Treaties and Investor–State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in Renewable Energy Investments, Ladan Mehranvar and Sunayana Sasmal
Report/Policy Paper: Unlocking the Power of Reformers to Achieve Better Progress on Extractives Governance, Leila Kazemi and Perrine Toledano
Publications from 2021
Article: Advocates Say ISDS Is Necessary Because Domestic Courts Are ‘Inadequate,’ But Claims and Decisions Don’t Reveal Systemic Failings, Maria Rocha, Martin Dietrich Brauch, and Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye
Article: Corporate Net-Zero Pledges: The Bad and the Ugly, Jack Arnold and Perrine Toledano
Article: Investment Governance in Africa to Support Climate Resilience and Decarbonization, Martin Dietrich Brauch and Brenda Akankunda
Article: Investor-State Dispute Prevention: A Critical Reflection, Lise Johnson, Lisa E. Sachs, and Ella Merrill
Article: Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Bill: A Missed Opportunity to Prepare for the Zero-Carbon Future, Solina Kennedy, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Perrine Toledano, and Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye
Article: Should the European Union Fix, Leave or Kill the Energy Charter Treaty?, Martin Dietrich Brauch
Memo/Briefing Note: Comments to the Draft Working Group III Workplan, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, International Institute for Environment and Development, and International Institute for Sustainable Development
Memo/Briefing Note: The Case for a Climate-Smart Update of the Africa Mining Vision, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Karan Bhulwaka, and Kojo Busia
Report/Policy Paper: Carbon Accounting by Public and Private Financial Institutions: Can We Be Sure Climate Finance Is Leading to Emissions Reductions?, Martin Dietrich Brauch and Emily Spittle
Report/Policy Paper: Comparison Between the IPCC Reporting Framework and Country Practice, Jiarui Chen and Martin Dietrich Brauch
Report/Policy Paper: COVID-19 and Land-based Investment: Changing Landscapes, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye, Nathaniah Jacobs, and Clarisse Marsac
Report/Policy Paper: Decarbonization Pathways for Paraguay’s Energy Sector, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment; Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Lab; and Centro de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Desarrollo (CRECE)
Report/Policy Paper: Five Years After the Adoption of the Paris Agreement, Are Climate Change Considerations Reflected in Mining Contracts?, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, and Mara Greenberg
Report/Policy Paper: Fixing the Business of Food: Aligning Food Company Practices with the SDGs, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Sanda Chiara Lab, and Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition
Report/Policy Paper: Getting From Ideas to Reality: Building Political Support to Translate Good Ideas Into Actual Practice, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment and Leila Kazemi
Report/Policy Paper: Guide on Incentives for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, Anna Bulman, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, Ladan Mehranvar, Ella Merrill, and Yannick Fiedler
Report/Policy Paper: Handbook for SDG-Aligned Food Companies: Four Pillar Framework Standards, Nora Mardirossian, Gaëlle Espinosa, Rico Rincón, Diana Marcela, Erin O’Dwyer, Abrania Marrero, Regan Plekenpol, Claudia P. Baethgen, Urvi Agarwal, Lisa E. Sachs, and Jeffrey D. Sachs
Report/Policy Paper: New Tech, New Deal: Mining Policy Options in the Face of New Technology, Isabelle Ramdoo, Aaron Cosbey, Jeff Geipel, and Perrine Toledano
Report/Policy Paper: Primer on International Investment Treaties and Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Report/Policy Paper: Responsible Coffee Sourcing: Towards a Living Income for Producers, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, Margaret Sagan, and Solina Kennedy
Report/Policy Paper: Transparency for Whom? Grounding Land Investment Transparency in the Needs of Local Actors, Sam Szoke-Burke
Report/Policy Paper: Transparency of Land-based Investments: Cameroon Country Snapshot, Sam Szoke-Burke, Samuel Nguiffo, and Stella Tchoukep
Publications from 2020
Article: Equipping the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for the Low-Carbon Transition: How Are Other National Oil Companies Adapting?, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye, and Francisco Javier Pardinas Favela
Article: Making Coffee Sustainable, Jeffrey D. Sachs and Kaitlin Y. Cordes
Article: Mechanisms for Consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent in the Negotiation of Investment Contracts, Sam Szoke-Burke and Kaitlin Y. Cordes
Book: The Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy 2018, Lisa E. Sachs, Lise Johnson, and Jesse Coleman
Book Chapter: Health Priorities for Sustainable Development, Lisa E. Sachs and Jeffrey D. Sachs
Memo/Briefing Note: Briefing Note: Aligning International Investment Agreements with the Sustainable Development Goals, Lise Johnson, Lisa E. Sachs, and Nathan Lobel
Memo/Briefing Note: Comment on US Trade and Investment Agreements Submitted to USTR, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: Draft Transparency Policy and DFC Board of Directors Public Engagement Policy, Kaitlin Y. Cordes
Memo/Briefing Note: Executive Summary on Ensuring Economic Viability and Sustainability of Coffee Production, Jeffrey D. Sachs, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, James Rising, Perrine Toledano, and Nicolas Maennling
Memo/Briefing Note: Incorporating Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) into Investment Approval Processes, Kelly Dudine and Sam Szoke-Burke
Memo/Briefing Note: Investment Promotion and Facilitation for Sustainable Development, Brooke Guven
Memo/Briefing Note: Modern Provisions in Investment Treaties, Jesse Coleman
Memo/Briefing Note: Submission to Bonsucro re Production Standard v5 (2019-21), Nami Patel and Sam Szoke-Burke
Memo/Briefing Note: The COMET Framework: Greenhouse Gas Data Transparency to Enable the Success of EU Climate Policy, Martin Dietrich Brauch and Solina Kennedy
Report/Policy Paper: A Review of Sierra Leone’s Mines and Minerals Act, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye, Perrine Toledano, and Sophie Thomashausen
Report/Policy Paper: Best Practices in Data Driven Development Planning in Mining Regions, Nicolas Maennling and Josefina Correa
Report/Policy Paper: Don’t Throw Caution to the Wind: In the Green Energy Transition, Not All Critical Minerals Will Be Goldmines, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Solina Kennedy, and Howard Mann
Report/Policy Paper: Electric Utility Alignment with the SDGs & the Paris Climate Agreement, Perrine Toledano, Aniket Shah, Nicolas Maennling, and Ryan J. Lasnick
Report/Policy Paper: Environmental Injustice: How Treaties Undermine Human Rights Related to the Environment, Lisa E. Sachs, Lise Johnson, and Ella Merrill
Report/Policy Paper: Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Addressing Political Realities to Improve Impact, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye and Leila Kazemi
Report/Policy Paper: Getting the Most Out of Extractive Industries Transparency: How a More Explicit Treatment of Political Considerations Could Strengthen the Impact of Transparency Efforts, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Report/Policy Paper: Mining and the SDGs: A 2020 Status Update, Responsible Mining Foundation and Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Report/Policy Paper: Preparing Legal Frameworks for Environmental Disasters: Practical Considerations for Host States, Brooke Guven, Perrine Toledano, and Lise Johnson
Report/Policy Paper: Shared-Use Infrastructure Along the World’s Largest Iron Ore Operation: Lessons Learned from the Carajás Corridor, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Nicolas Maennling, Perrine Toledano, Edgar Santos Monteiro, and Felipe Botelho Tavares
Publications from 2019
Article: A Model for “Smart” Mineral Enterprise Development for Spurring Investment in Climate Change Mitigation Technology, Saleem Ali, Robert K. Perrons, Perrine Toledano, and Nicolas Maennling
Article: Environmental Injustice: How Treaties Undermine the Right to a Healthy Environment, Lisa E. Sachs, Lise Johnson, and Ella Merrill
Book: Modelling for Sustainable Development: New Decisions for a New Age, Andrea M. Bassi, Liesbeth Casier, David Laborde, Max Linsen, David Manley, Nicolas Maennling, Howard Mann, Morten Siersted, Carin Smaller, Iain Steele, David Uzsoki, and Johnny West
Book: The Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy 2017, Lisa E. Sachs, Lise Johnson, and Jesse Coleman
Book Chapter: African Mining and the SDGs: From Vision to Reality, Kathryn Sturman, Perrine Toledano, Charles F.A. Akayuli, and Mzamose Gondwe
Book Chapter: Investment Treaties, Investor-State Dispute Settlement, and Inequality: How International Investment Treaties Exacerbate Domestic Disparities, Lise Johnson and Lisa E. Sachs
Memo/Briefing Note: Agricultural Investments: A Primer for Host Government Lawyers and Local Lawyers in Private Practice, Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye
Memo/Briefing Note: Bridging the Information Gap: How Access to Land Contracts Can Serve Community Rights, Lara Wallis and Sam Szoke-Burke
Memo/Briefing Note: Briefing for Civil Society Organizations – Understanding Commercial Eucalyptus Plantations: How Do They Work and What Are Their Environmental Impacts?, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: CCSI Submits Written Views to US Department of State Regarding UNCITRAL’s Working Group III, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: Draft Text Providing for Transparency and Prohibiting Certain Forms of Third-Party Funding in Investor–State Dispute Settlement, Brooke Güven, Lise Johnson, Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Lorenzo Cotula, and Jane Kelsey
Memo/Briefing Note: Draft Treaty Language: Withdrawal of Consent to Arbitrate and Termination of International Investment Agreements, Brooke Güven and Lise Johnson
Memo/Briefing Note: Inconsistency's Many Forms in Investor-State Dispute Settlement and Implications for Reform, Lise Johnson and Lisa E. Sachs
Memo/Briefing Note: Legal Frameworks & Foreign Investment: A Primer on Governments’ Obligations, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, Lise Johnson, Sam Szoke-Burke, and Rumbidzaii Mawen
Memo/Briefing Note: Primer: International Investment Treaties and Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: Reputational and Integrity Due Diligence on Investors, Kroll and Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Memo/Briefing Note: The Business and Human Rights Arbitration Rule Project: Falling Short of its Access to Justice Objectives, Lisa E. Sachs, Lise Johnson, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, Jesse Coleman, and Brooke Güven
Memo/Briefing Note: Third-Party Rights in Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Options for Reform, Jesse Coleman, Lise Johnson, Brooke Güven, Lorenzo Cotula, and Thierry Berger
Memo/Briefing Note: UNCITRAL Working Group III on ISDS Reform: How Cross-Cutting Issues Reshape Reform Options, Lorenzo Cotula, Thierry Berger, Lise Johnson, Brooke Güven, and Jesse Coleman
Report/Policy Paper: Aligning Investment Treaties with Sustainable Development Goals, Lise Johnson, Lisa E. Sachs, and Nathan Lobel
Report/Policy Paper: Alternatives to Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Lise Johnson, Jesse Coleman, Brooke Güven, and Lisa E. Sachs
Report/Policy Paper: Ensuring Economic Viability and Sustainability of Coffee Production, Jeffrey D. Sachs, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, James Rising, Perrine Toledano, and Nicolas Maennling
Report/Policy Paper: Fixing the Business of Food: The Food Industry and the SDG Challenge, Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, and Sanda Chiara Lab
Report/Policy Paper: How International Oil Companies Could Assist Greece to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: A Conversation Starter, Alexandra Sdoukou, Andreas Tornaritis, and Perrine Toledano
Report/Policy Paper: Human Rights Law and the Investment Treaty Regime, Jesse Coleman, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, and Lise Johnson
Report/Policy Paper: Innovative Financing Solutions for Community Support in the Context of Land Investments, Sam Szoke-Burke
Report/Policy Paper: Investment Treaties, Investor-State Dispute Settlement and Inequality, Lisa E. Sachs and Lise Johnson
Report/Policy Paper: Linkages to the Mining Sector in Colombia, Nicolas Maennling and Perrine Toledano
Report/Policy Paper: Outcome Report on the Climate Crisis, Global Land Use and Human Rights Conference, Mateusz Kasprowicz, Sam Szoke-Burke, and Kaitlin Y. Cordes
Report/Policy Paper: Securing Adequate Legal Defense in Proceedings under International Investment Agreements: A Scoping Study, Lise Johnson and Brooke Guven
Report/Policy Paper: The Policy Implications of Third-Party Funding in Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Brooke Guven and Lise Johnson
Publications from 2018
Article: Framing the Global Pact for the Environment: Why It’s Needed, What It Does, and How It Does It, Teresa Parejo Navajas and Nathan Lobel