IDDRI has three objectives:

• Informing policy decisions

IDDRI gathers knowledge and expertise on the main international themes of sustainable development, especially those which are subject to controversy, for the benefit of public and private decision-makers, both economic and social. These decision-makers thereby gain access to a wide range of opinions, proposals and scenarios supported by the most solid scientific basis possible. IDDRI thus contributes to the intellectual preparation of international decisions and participates in the expert communities involved in these processes.

• Identifying emerging issues

IDDRI carries out forward thinking, in cooperation with the actors involved, in order to anticipate emerging challenges and to deal with them from the outset. It consolidates the scientific communities working on sustainable development by promoting multi-disciplinary research and expertise on new subjects. This research is conducted in accordance with academic rules and confidentiality.

• Creating a platform for dialogue

IDDRI identifies the platforms for dialogue that are required in order to remove the barriers to understanding and appreciating the issues at stake. It coordinates a network in which stakeholders whose interests are often at odds ? administrations, the scientific community, companies and associations ? work together to determine the issues to be examined, debate them and identify convergences and divergences.