UPDATE: Researching Sustainable Development Law (SDL)

By Charlotte Daugherty

Charlotte Daugherty is the Legal Research Librarian for Foreign & Comparative Law at U.C. Berkeley School of Law. She has earned her J.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Washington.

Published January/February 2024

(Previously updated by Kristina Alayan in February 2014 and Sarah Sullivan in May/June 2018)

See the Archived Version!

1. Introduction

The concept of sustainable development has existed since ancient times. The modern movement to incorporate sustainable development precepts into international law has taken much longer to develop and has been advanced through the efforts of the United Nations and national governments in the latter half of the 20th century. Since then, the momentum has grown and has produced policies, programs, and laws in the form of international agreements and policies that foster cooperation in pursuit of sustainable development goals. Scholars, citizens, and government officials continue to grapple with the tension between Earth’s finite natural resources and the needs of both current and future generations. In 1972, the U.N.’s Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment focused on ecological damage and the need for industrialized nations to assist developing countries. “The link between poverty and environmental degradation is well-recognized and constitutes, unfortunately, a vicious cycle: poverty leads to environmental degradation which, in turn, leads to more poverty which leads to even more environmental degradation.” [1]

This guide provides search tips and links to significant sustainable development law, policy, and literature but is not intended to be comprehensive. Researchers will likely find the interdisciplinary nature of this field to be challenging, and evolving policy and scholarly discussion will continue to add new sources that researchers should consult.

2. Research Tips

Using bibliographies from known sources is one of the best ways to find additional research about a topic. To find newer sources, using library catalog subject headings is another simple method that produces fewer and more relevant search results. Find subject headings either in the library catalog record of a useful book or article or by using the subject headings suggested below to begin a search in a library catalog. Keep in mind Mary Rumsey’s note in her GlobaLex article Basic Guide to Researching Foreign Law, that “[n]ot every country will have materials indexed under every subject heading.” Additional keyword searching might be necessary to locate a broader array of material.

3. Selected Books

Selected books by influential authors in the field of international sustainable development law are listed below. The links provide access to each book’s table of contents or synopsis to facilitate review of the topics each book covers. Titles are listed in reverse order of publication date.

4. Selected Series & Periodicals

5. International Agreements and Other Documents

From Duncan French, International Law and Policy of Sustainable Development x-xvi (2005); Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger & Ashfaq Khalfan, Sustainable Development Law: Principles, Practices, and Prospects (2004); and from U.N. Sustainable Development websites.

1945
1946
1947
1948
1957
1958
1960
1966
1969
1972
1973
1974
1982
1986
1987
1990
1992
1994
1997
2000
2001
2002
  • World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation, U.N. Doc. A/CONF.199/20, at 1, 6 (Aug. 26- Sept. 4, 2002).
2009
  • Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, The Copenhagen Accord, U.N. Doc. FCCC/CP/2009/11/Add.1, at 4 (Dec. 7-19, 2009).
2012
  • U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, Report of the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, U.N. Doc. A/CONF.216/16 (June 20-22, 2012) and G.A. Res. 66/288, The Future We Want (July 27, 2012).
2015
2019
2023

6. Sustainable Development Organizations

To find additional organizations, please see Yale University’s Public Policy Subject Guide: Govts, Think Tanks, NGOs & IGOs.

7. Academic Programs

8. Research Guides

Many research guides are available for the broader topic of International Environmental Law, and often include a handful of resources dedicated to SDL.

9. Abbreviations

ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
CBD 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity
CDF Comprehensive Development Framework
CISDL Centre for International Sustainable Development Law
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
CSD Commission on Sustainable Development
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC European Community
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
G7 Group of 7: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United State
G77 Group of 77: non-aligned movement of developing States (often G77 and China)
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GNP Gross National Product
HDI Human Development Index
HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICJ International Court of Justice
ICSID International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes
ICTSD International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
IDA International Development Association
IFC International Finance Corporation
IFI International Financial Institution
ILA International Law Association
ILO International Labour Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
LDCs Least Developed Countries
MDB Multilateral Development Bank
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MNE Multinational Enterprise
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa's Development
NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations
NIEO New International Economic Order
OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
PRGF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
R&D Research and Development
SAP Structural Adjustment Programme
SIA Sustainability Impact Assessment
TRIPS 1994 Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
U.N. United Nations
UNCED 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
U.N.T.S. United Nations Treaty Series
WCED World Commission on Environment and Development
WHO World Health Organization
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development
WTO World Trade Organization
WWF World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund)

[1] Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger & Ashfaq Khalfan, Sustainable Development Law: Principles, Practices, and Prospects (2004).