The Sustainable Development Department was established in response to pressing issues related to adapting to climate change in regard to rural industries and ethnic people. The Sustainable Development Department provides training, research and consultation with a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable development.

Major activities include:

• Cleaner production: Deliver added value services including information dissemination and awareness raising, professional training, on-site assessment and demonstration; policy advice; and support for the transfer of green technologies.
• Effective usage of natural resources: Provide solutions for resource-efficient utilization, aiding in cost savings, enhance business efficiency, and contribute to environmental protection.
• Indigenous Development: Exchange knowledge and skills on indigenous technology and innovation, as well as good practices related to community-based socio-economic development.
• Sustainable Standards: Research and carry out the benchmarking for more than 300 sustainable standards in the world, support national associations to build up sectoral standards and codes of conducts for their members.
• Carbon credits and environmental services: Support to conduct field visits, gap analysis and advise on short-term and long-term improvement plans, advise on regulations and standards of the carbon credit market, implement projects to reduce emissions, advice on establishing systems to monitor and report on the maintenance of emissions reduction measures and actual emissions to ensure the project maintains quality over time.