Introduction to ‘Sustainable Development in World Investment Law’

This volume builds upon previous research on sustainable development in international trade law and policy, published in Sustainable Development in World Trade Law. The volume's goal is to analyse the state of international investment law through the lens of sustainable development and to clarify how international investment law can contribute to sustainable development. The various chapters in the volume identify, characterize, and analyse existing rules, innovations, and best practices in international investment agreements, including the investment measures used by other sustainable development treaties and instruments. The volume proceeds in four parts. Part I establishes the foundations. Part II of the volume addresses the procedural and substantive dimension of sustainable development in international investment law. Part III is divided into two sections. The first section examines emerging issues and proposals. The second section examines how investment can be promoted through sustainable development treaties in general, followed by chapters on climate change, and biodiversity treaties, as well as treaties concerning water use and shared river regimes. Part IV provides the conclusions, which draw out the themes from this volume and provide a research agenda for the future in this emerging and important area