International cooperation
The world aims to develop sustainably: in the 2030 Agenda the international community agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are designed to pave the way for socially, environmentally and economically sustainable development. As well as addressing the eradication of poverty and hunger, food security and the promotion of good health and gender equality, the SDGs also cover issues such as affordable and clean energy for all, sustainable economic growth and decent work, responsible production and consumption and action on climate change. The guiding principles of the 2030 Agenda include not only respecting human dignity and planetary integrity and promoting prosperity and peace but also developing global partnerships in the spirit of international cooperation.
Our consumption of energy and resources is increasing
The challenges for globally sustainable development are huge and multi-faceted. It is particularly important to address these issues in regions with rapidly growing economies, because as their consumption needs increase so too does the demand for energy, the overuse of raw materials and resources and the volume of electronic waste.
Knowledge-sharing for sustainability
The Oeko-Institut has been working with international partners for many years and in numerous projects. Its experts pass on their experience of issues such as environmental minimum standards, promotion of eco-innovations in the market and economic mechanisms that incentivise climate change mitigation and resource conservation. They work on projects in the ASEAN region (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar), in India, in African countries including Ghana and Ethiopia and in Southern and Eastern Europe.
Cooperation on sustainable consumption and procurement
Extracting primary raw materials: from regional to global
International forest conservation
Recycling cooperation with newly industrializing countries
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
ESIA consists of an analysis and evaluation of a project’s foreseeable environmental and social impacts and risks. The aim is to identify, avoid or offset negative impacts and risks or to reduce them to an acceptable level. ESIA is an important component of financial and technical cooperation. The Oeko-Institut provides support for stakeholders carrying out ESIA and, on this basis, makes recommendations on ways of mitigating any environmental and social risks that may be present in development projects.
Information on KfW Development Bank’s Sustainability Guidelines
PROSA (Product Sustainability Assessment)
PROSA (Product Sustainability Assessment) is a method for the strategic analysis and evaluation of product portfolios, products and services. PROSA assesses and evaluates the environmental, economic and social aspects, spanning complete product life cycles and value chains. The goal is to identify system innovations and options for action towards sustainable development. In the context of international cooperation, the Oeko-Institut applies the PROSA method to develop criteria for ecolabelling of products and services and for public procurement in the Asian region. A key element is consultation with local and national stakeholder groups with a view to developing locally appropriate solutions.
Further information on the PROSA method
Project design, monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
International development projects are complex and long-term in focus. They are exposed to diverse developments that cannot always be predicted at the planning stage. The Oeko-Institut supports agencies engaged in international cooperation, not only in planning multi-annual projects (e.g. through the logical framework approach) but also in monitoring and in participatory ex post evaluation. The Oeko-Institut’s work also includes designing major transformation projects within the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) framework.
Train-the-trainers
The Oeko-Institut runs train-the-trainers workshops and seminars for key stakeholders from ministries, public authorities, research institutes and the private sector, with a focus on methodological and technical issues of relevance to sustainability. This builds the capacity of local stakeholders from Africa and Asia, enabling them to advance and implement sustainable development policies and measures in their own professional spheres.