2023 Reports

Can Existing International Agreements on ‘Investment Facilitation’ Advance Sustainable Development, Climate Action, and Human Rights?

Brauch, Martin Dietrich

Many governments are turning to bilateral, regional, and multilateral agreements on ‘investment facilitation,’ with measures aimed at “making it easier for investors to establish or expand their investments, as well as to conduct their day-to-day business in host countries,” as defined by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). But can these agreements stimulate sustainable investment, including in a just transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy systems?