The issues revolving around the theme of the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD) are complex and numerous and the information that exists on it is often dispersed and sometimes not easily accessible. The Issue Brief series has been prepared in order to address some of these information and knowledge gaps as well as to assist stakeholders to understand some of the main issues that have been raised over the course of recent formal and informal meetings concerning the environmental pillar of IFSD. The Issues Briefs will be released on a regular basis over the course of the next 12 months leading up to the Rio+20 Conference.