Report

Manifesto for a thriving world: IIED’s connected ambition, 2024 and beyond

This report from UK think tank the International Institute for Environment and Development presents their refreshed approach to impact.

Following a year of review and dialogue, this manifesto presents IIED’s refreshed approach to impact. This new approach to working on problems, in equitable learning partnerships, focuses on specific propositions to progress towards a thriving world.

We acknowledge that achieving our mission means we cannot continue doing more of the same and instead must challenge ourselves to take a bold new direction while retaining the best of what makes IIED unique.

With this manifesto we aim to be more responsive to climate change, social and economic shocks, and to be more agile. Rather than setting fixed targets and narrow objectives, we outline a clear direction of travel and principles for ways of working to serve as guiderails. The roads will not be straight lines. The challenges we face call for bravery and a different appetite to risk; there will be failures along the way. But we believe that it is within the messy business of experimentation, collaboration and learning that the best solutions to the biggest problems lie.

This manifesto is the product of a collective effort of IIED staff, associates, trustees and friends based on 12 months of listening, conversations and co-designing. This is a live document and one we know will change based on the insights we generate, inputs from the community and the changing context we work in.