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This guide defines conflict-sensitive Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation and provides a framework for integrating conflict analysis into the design and implementation of environmental projects to avoid exacerbating tensions and promote peace.

An infographic from the International Institute for Sustainable Development detailing the economic costs of various types of pollution in Canada, specifically highlighting smog, contaminated sites, and heat waves.

This country diagnostic report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the nexus of food systems, climate change, and diets in Malawi. It examines current trends in poverty, undernourishment, and greenhouse gas emissions, while providing projections to 2030 using the Ceres2030 model. The report highlights the high vulnerability of Malawi's rain-fed agricultural sector to climate shocks and the lack of a formal national definition for a 'healthy diet'.

This briefing, based on a June 2020 virtual roundtable by CEEW and IISD, analyzes the impacts of COVID-19 on India's electricity sector. It details the financial distress of distribution companies (DISCOMs), the operational challenges faced by thermal and renewable energy producers, and the government's proposed recovery measures, including a stimulus package and loan terms from PFC-REC.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the large-scale mining sector. It analyzes immediate impacts on direct and indirect labor, the role of national lockdown policies, and the long-term structural shifts toward automation and localized supply chains, while providing recommendations for building future resilience.

This research paper by Aaron Cosbey of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the conceptual, legal, and geopolitical challenges of implementing Border Carbon Adjustments (BCAs). It analyzes BCAs as tools to address industrial competitiveness and carbon leakage, while evaluating their compatibility with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and their potential impact on international climate negotiations.

This case study describes the application of the Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods (CRiSTAL) and CARE's Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (CVCA) in the municipality of Santa Teresa and other areas of the Peruvian Andes. Implemented by CARE Peru as part of the Adaptation to the Impact of Rapid Glacier Retreat in the Tropical Andes Project (PRAA), these tools helped 14 communities identify and implement climate-resilient development measures tailored to local perceptions of risk.

This case study describes how the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) applied the CRiSTAL framework in Sanzara, Uganda, to help farmers adapt to climate variability. The process identified severe water stress and seasonal variability as key challenges. In response, the community, with technical support from district officials and IUCN, began implementing a water gravity flow scheme from the River Sippi in April 2012 to mitigate the effects of drought and support livelihoods.

This case study describes the application of the conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) approach in Kahuzi Biega National Park (KBNP) in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mitigate tensions between the national conservation authority and local communities over natural resource extraction.

This case study describes the application of a conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) approach to restore the Lake Edward fishery within Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It details how institutional decline and environmental degradation caused by decades of violent conflict were addressed through multistakeholder monitoring committees, joint patrols, and transboundary dialogue to improve fish yields and regional peacebuilding.

This briefing provides an overview of Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) provisions within 68 Indian International Investment Agreements (IIAs) signed between 1995 and 2010. It categorizes these provisions into three types based on their formulation and examines the extent to which India defines the normative content of FET to guide arbitral interpretation.

This briefing note, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and CUTS International, Geneva, examines the challenges faced by developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) within the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce. It highlights a significant digital divide and capacity gaps that hinder these nations' ability to participate in negotiations and implement future agreements. The document proposes shifting from a narrow focus on regulatory cooperation toward a comprehensive approach that includes 'enabling issues' such as infrastructure and technical assistance, and suggests adopting a hybrid Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) model based on the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to ensure capacity-building commitments are enforceable.

This report reviews three national certification programs in China—the EIP Demonstration Program, the Circular Transformation of Industrial Parks (CTIP), and the Low-Carbon Industrial Park Program—aimed at improving the eco-efficiency and carbon performance of industrial zones. While voluntary, these programs motivate participation through official certification, financial subsidies (particularly in the CTIP program), and the ability to attract investment. The report highlights that while these initiatives promote industrial symbiosis and resource efficiency, there remains a significant need for capacity building and more comprehensive low-carbon evaluation standards.

This infographic presents a cost-benefit analysis of three distributed water storage options for land management in Manitoba to mitigate floods and droughts while managing nutrients. The analysis was modeled on a field scale for a typical quarter-section.

This report examines the status of the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce among World Trade Organization (WTO) members as of February 2021, specifically analyzing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on these negotiations and the broader digital economy. It details the acceleration of e-commerce adoption, the persistence of the digital divide, and the progress of ten thematic small groups working toward a consolidated negotiating text for the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12).

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines the economic, environmental, and operational benefits of eco-certification for fisheries management, highlighting market access, financial returns, and long-term stock stability.

This report examines the commercial freshwater fishing industry in Manitoba, highlighting that 85% of its 2,000 licensed harvesters are Indigenous. It argues that eco-certification is critical for maintaining international market access, as some major US retailers have already stopped purchasing non-certified Manitoba fish. The report provides a cost-benefit analysis, noting that for large lakes, benefits are estimated at $250 for every $1 invested over five years, and recommends increased government funding and staffing to support the certification process.

This report examines the opportunities and challenges for the Canadian agricultural sector within evolving national and international climate change regimes. It analyzes the sector's mitigation potential, the role of bioenergy, the development of agricultural carbon offsets, and the impact of climate policies on international competitiveness and trade.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) discusses gaps in life-cycle assessments (LCAs) used to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the built environment. It argues that current LCAs may misdirect decarbonization efforts due to data gaps, lack of transparency, and the omission of biogenic carbon emissions from wood products.

This briefing describes a Canadian study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that identifies critical gaps in Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) used to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the built environment. The study warns that current LCAs may mislead decision-makers by omitting biogenic carbon from wood products and ignoring regional variability, potentially resulting in suboptimal decarbonization efforts for buildings.