Our Founding Partners

Launched in 2021, TESS grew from a founding partnership of the Geneva Graduate Institute and the United Nations Environment Programme.

At the Geneva Graduate Institute, we are housed within the Centre for Trade and Economic Integration and its Geneva Trade Platform.

Our involvement with TESS reflects the Geneva Graduate Institute’s long-standing engagement with International Geneva, and our commitment to sustainability as core to the institute’s vision and mission. TESS is a timely response to the growing interest in revived multilateral cooperation on the critical intersections of trade, environment, and the SDGs and the need for more inclusive global governance.

Marie-Laure Salles, Director, Geneva Graduate Institute

International agendas on sustainable trade must respond to developing country priorities and advance progress on the SDGs, and will require more interaction between trade and environment policy communities. Based in International Geneva but with a global outlook and advisory network, TESS is designed to respond to these priorities.

Elisa Tonda, Chief, Resources and Markets Branch, Industry and Economy Division, United Nations Environment Programme

Our Funders

TESS is a non-profit initiative financed through grants, contracts, and in-kind contributions from philanthropic donors and governments. TESS gratefully acknowledges the financial support for our work, which have included the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Climate Works Foundation, European Climate Foundation, Minderoo Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Quadrature Charitable Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, UN Unvironment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the governments of Australia, France, Germany, and Norway. TESS is independent and does not advocate on behalf of any specific government or stakeholders.

Our Partnerships

TESS works to foster engagement with a diverse range of experts and institutions from all regions, focusing in particular on ensuring representation of developing country voices in international agenda-setting on trade and sustainability. Our various activities are implemented through a variety of partnerships, including joint publications and research as well as events co-hosted with international organizations, governments, stakeholders, universities, research centres, and think tanks based in International Geneva and around the world, and contributing to events and processes convened by others. Our approach to partnerships is driven by our commitment to supporting inclusive international cooperation on trade and sustainability and building synergies across policy communities, developing a network of complementary expertise, and strengthening a community of practice aligned with our vision. A core strength of our work is our commitment to moving ideas into action by identifying and working with people and institutions that can be agents of change.