INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Their core work

IIED is a London-based independent policy and action research institute focused on sustainable development at the intersection of environmental change, poverty, and equity. They bring social science analysis to complex environmental and food system challenges — not laboratory research, but field-grounded policy work that connects grassroots realities with high-level frameworks. In H2020, they contributed their expertise in small-scale agriculture, food security, and social equity to large international consortia. Their recent work positions them as a specialist voice on the human and justice dimensions of sustainability transitions, covering everything from gender equity in green energy to fair food systems for smallholders.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2016-2020), IIED worked specifically on smallholder agriculture and local food businesses as entry points for food security — a focused, sector-specific mandate. By 2022, their scope expanded dramatically: SHARED GREEN DEAL placed them at the centre of a multi-dimensional agenda spanning climate, biodiversity, energy, and circular economy, with justice and equity as the connective thread. The shift is from sector specialist to cross-cutting policy analyst, using social sciences as the lens through which the entire Green Deal is evaluated.

IIED is moving toward broad sustainability policy analysis — using social science and equity frameworks to interrogate the entire Green Deal agenda — making them increasingly relevant to any consortium that needs to demonstrate responsible, inclusive transition pathways.

How they like to work

IIED has never led an H2020 project, joining exclusively as a participant — consistent with their role as a specialist contributor rather than a project manager. Despite only two projects, they have engaged with 38 unique partners across 24 countries, which means they are placed into large, diverse international consortia where their policy and equity expertise complements technical partners. This pattern suggests that project coordinators actively seek them out for a specific intellectual contribution, not for administration or infrastructure.

With 38 unique consortium partners across 24 countries from just two projects, IIED operates inside genuinely global research networks. Their geographic footprint extends well beyond Europe, consistent with a development-oriented institute whose work spans the Global South.

What sets them apart

IIED occupies a rare position: a research institute that brings development justice, gender equity, and qualitative policy analysis into consortia that are otherwise dominated by technical and quantitative researchers. Where most food and environment partners bring data, models, or technology, IIED brings the question of who benefits and who is left behind. For any consortium addressing Green Deal topics that require a credible social science voice — or that needs to satisfy reviewers on equity and inclusion dimensions — IIED is a distinctive and hard-to-replace partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SALSA
  Largest funding received (EUR 242,228) and their longest-running project, establishing IIED's H2020 track record in food security by examining small farms across multiple countries as a viable pathway to sustainability.
• SHARED GREEN DEAL
  A 5-year (2022-2027) multi-pillar project applying social sciences and humanities across the entire European Green Deal — the most ambitious thematic scope in IIED's H2020 portfolio, covering 10 distinct policy domains simultaneously.