Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD)

Name

Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD)

Legal name

联合国环境规划署-同济大学环境与可持续发展学院 (Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development, Tongji University)

Website

https://unep-iesd.tongji.edu.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Development Education and Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD), STEM/Business/Discipline-Specific Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAH), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable development education
• Environmental science programs
• Climate change training
• International degree programs
• Policy research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: International degree programs charge tuition fees for master's and doctoral programs. Application fees are also collected from applicants.
2. Research Grants and Sponsored Projects: Funded research projects from UNEP, UNESCO, governments, and corporate sponsors like Covestro. The institute serves as a strategic think tank for UNEP.
3. Conference and Program Fees: Revenue from flagship events including registration fees for the International Students Conference on Environment and Sustainability and related programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IESD delivers international master's and doctoral degree programs in Environmental Science and Engineering, sustainability-focused undergraduate and graduate courses (including a Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality micro-major and a Sustainable Development minor), flagship international conferences and leadership programs (such as ISCES and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Programme), and policy-relevant research on environment and sustainable development. The institute also operates the Climate Change Laboratory and the Covestro Chair on Sustainable Development as research platforms, and runs student research grant programs such as the Green Seedling Plan.

Product overview

IESD operates as a joint UNEP–Tongji University institute functioning as a strategic think tank for UNEP and an interdisciplinary platform for Tongji University, offering educational programs, research initiatives, and international cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development. Its product portfolio includes international degree programs (master's and doctoral levels in environmental science and engineering), undergraduate and graduate sustainability-focused courses (including a micro-major on Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality, a graduate minor in Sustainable Development, and university-wide general courses), flagship programs (International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, Asia-Pacific Leadership Programme, UN Immersion Programme, and Forum on Urban Ecology and Energy Conservation), research initiatives (Climate Change Laboratory, Covestro Chair on Sustainable Development, and Green Seedling Plan student research projects), and published research outputs (UN-Habitat reports and annual reports). The organization does not offer a commercial product or SaaS platform; its 'products' are academic programs, training initiatives, and research publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Degree Programme (Master's and Doctoral in Environmental Science and Engineering) Two-year master's and doctoral degree programs in Environmental Science and Engineering, offered to international students and professionals through Tongji University. Designed to train high-end officials and managerial personnel from recipient (primarily developing) countries for careers in environment and sustainable development.
• Sustainability and Future University-wide General Course University-wide general education course aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs, covering environmental governance, climate change, terrestrial ecosystems, ocean governance, economic systems, and health. Available to Tongji University undergraduates across all faculties.
• Undergraduate Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality Micro-major Undergraduate micro-major program focused on climate change and carbon neutrality, aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted at the 70th UN General Assembly in 2015. Available to Tongji University undergraduates as a structured secondary area of study.
• Graduate Sustainable Development Minor Graduate-level minor program in sustainable development, building on the 'The Future We Want' outcome of the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Available to Tongji University graduate students across departments.
• Graduate Cross-department Elective Courses Elective courses for graduate students covering sustainable development topics including Sustainable Development and Future, Low-carbon Agriculture Principles and Technology, Sustainable Thinking, Regional Economy and Sustainable Development, Environmental Law, Renewable Energy in Buildings, Green Transportation Planning, and University Sustainability.
• International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development (ISCES) Annual international youth conference serving as one of the largest sustainable development youth summits globally. By 2023, twelve editions had been held with over 4,000 participants from more than 50 countries. Targeted at students and young professionals engaged in environment and sustainability.
• Asia-Pacific Leadership Programme on Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership program focused on building environmental and sustainable development capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, targeting government officials, professionals, and emerging leaders from the region.
• UN Immersion Programme Training camp preparing talent for international organizations, building skills and experience relevant to UN and other international bodies. Targeted at students and early-career professionals aiming to work in multilateral institutions.
• Forum on Urban Ecology and Energy Conservation Forum focused on urban ecology and energy conservation topics, convening researchers, policy makers, and practitioners in the field of sustainable urban development.
• Green Seedling Plan Social Practice Project Student research program initiated by Beijing Green Future Environmental Foundation to support youth in conducting environmental and sustainable development research, offering RMB 8,000-20,000 per project for up to 15 recipients annually. Research areas include urban environmental health, sustainable development education, green campus studies, and green urban transportation planning.
• IESD Publications IESD's published reports including the 2023 annual report, UN-Habitat reports on strengthening river pollution control for urban sustainable development, and net-zero carbon village planning guides for the Yangtze River Delta region. Disseminated to governments, researchers, and partner organizations.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP co-founded and co-manages IESD with Tongji University. IESD serves as UNEP's strategic think tank on sustainable development education. The partnership focuses on mainstreaming environment and sustainable development in higher education, promoting research, education, and South-South cooperation.
• Tongji UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for IESD, providing academic infrastructure, faculty, and degree-granting authority. Founded in 1907, Tongji is a leading Chinese university with strong engineering and environmental programs.
• Covestro AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Covestro Chair on Sustainable Development. The partnership supports research and education in sustainable development through industry-academic collaboration.
• Beijing Green Future Environmental FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by former NPC Environment Committee Chairman Wang Guangtao in 2011. Supports the 'Green Sprout Plan' (绿苗计划) student research program, encouraging urban environmental studies, sustainable development education, and green transportation research.
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN training agency partnership supporting capacity building and training programs for sustainable development professionals.
• UNESCOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO sent congratulatory letter confirming IESD-led project 'Building Water Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa' as part of the UN Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033).
• Xinhua News AgencysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner supporting the International Students Conference on Environment and Sustainability and other flagship events.
• Asia-Pacific Postgraduate Education Alliance (PROSPER)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network of academic institutions promoting postgraduate education on sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization producing policy analysis, data tools, and convenings on environment and sustainability. Comparable as a UN-adjacent think tank producing research and convening events, though operating at vastly larger scale and with a US base.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): The UN system entity that co-founded and co-manages IESD. Not a competitor, but the institutional sponsor whose brand, policy access, and grant pipeline directly underpin IESD's value proposition and whose strategic priorities shape IESD's program direction.

Direct peers

• Stockholm Resilience Centre: Internationally prominent research and education center for sustainability science and resilience thinking. Comparable in blending research, graduate education, and global policy advisory work in sustainability, though focused on Western European and African partnerships.
• UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources: University-based research and teaching institute focused on sustainable resources, energy, and environment. Comparable in being a host-university-embedded sustainability research and graduate education center with global partnerships.
• ETH Zurich Department of Environmental Systems Science: Hosts interdisciplinary graduate education and research in environmental systems, climate, and sustainability. Comparable in combining technical climate/environmental research with sustainability-focused graduate curriculum, though at much larger scale.
• Yale School of the Environment: Leading graduate school offering master's and doctoral programs in environmental science, policy, and sustainability with strong global network. Highly comparable to IESD's international degree programs and policy-research orientation, though at a significantly larger scale and with a US/Western donor base.
• Wageningen University Environmental Sciences Group: World-leading environmental and sustainability graduate programs with strong applied and policy orientation. Comparable through international master's offerings, sustainability research labs, and partnerships with developing-country institutions.
• University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership: Provides executive education, master's programs, and policy research on sustainability leadership, with strong global corporate and government network. Directly comparable to IESD's executive and leadership programs and its role as a UN-aligned think tank.
• Tsinghua University School of Environment: Top Chinese graduate school in environmental engineering and science, also offering international programs and sustainability research. Closest domestic Chinese peer given overlapping target audience, host-university structure, and government-aligned environmental focus.

Broad incumbents

• Tongji University College of Environmental Science and Engineering: Sister college within the same Tongji University, offering the bulk of formal environmental engineering and science degree programs. Comparable as the parent university's primary environmental academic unit, with overlapping faculty and student pools that frame IESD's niche role.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unep-tongji-institute-of-environment-for-sustainable-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD)