Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines institutional and policy processes (IPPs) that can facilitate a transition to a green economy, using case studies from Ontario and Manitoba to illustrate their application and limitations.

• Institutional and policy processes (IPPs) are actions taken by entities, such as governments, to improve sustainable operations and foster green transitions in the community. Examples include policy mandates, sustainable procurement, and measures to increase education, capacity building, and access to information.
• Ontario's Green Button program, launched in 2012, utilizes smart home technologies to give energy users direct access to electricity-use data. As of the report date, the 'Download My Data' (DMD) standard was available to about 50% of Ontario energy customers, with a 'Connect My Data' (CMD) phase involving solution providers planned for pilot projects in late 2013 and a full rollout in 2014.
• Sustainable procurement is a common IPP because it is easy to implement via government mandates and allows governments to lead by example. Manitoba utilizes sustainable development procurement guidelines and has conducted education and awareness campaigns regarding idle-free zones.
• While IPPs are often easier to enact than fiscal mechanisms or mandatory regulations, they generally have a lower impact and may take longer to produce benefits. Specifically, the Government of Manitoba lacks sufficient market influence to drive a green transition through procurement alone, necessitating a balance of different policy tools.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2013). Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-ipp.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy. 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-ipp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy |date=September 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-ipp.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2013policy, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-ipp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }