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This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the decline of water storage in the Canadian Prairies and advocates for natural water retention measures to mitigate the risks of floods and droughts exacerbated by climate change.

This guide describes the process of participatory scenario development (PSD) for climate change adaptation, emphasizing the integration of stakeholder knowledge with scientific data. It outlines a five-step methodology and provides a detailed case study from the Lake Balaton region in Hungary to demonstrate how PSD can influence local and national adaptation policies.

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development discusses the role of regulations and standards as policy tools to facilitate the transition to a green economy, using a case study from Vancouver to illustrate the effectiveness of removing regulatory barriers, known as 'green tape'.

This fact sheet describes a four-year project led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The project aims to integrate climate change vulnerability and adaptation into sustainable development planning through pilot projects in Kenya, Mozambique, and Rwanda, focusing on agriculture, forestry, and energy production.

This case study describes the 'Increasing Community Resilience to Drought in Makueni District' project in Kenya, part of the broader ACCESA regional initiative. The project implements strategies to reduce smallholder farmers' vulnerability to climate variability through improved water access, agronomic training, and income diversification, while working to integrate these lessons into national policy.

This 1999 report analyzes the emergence of markets for global environmental services in Central America, focusing on the contrasting experiences of Costa Rica and El Salvador. It examines how these countries leverage international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol and biodiversity conventions, to mobilize financial resources for conservation and sustainable development through mechanisms like carbon credits and biodiversity-friendly coffee certification.

This case study examines a private Licensed Buying Company (LBC) in Ghana's cocoa industry to assess its compliance with the Committee on World Food Security’s Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI). The company operates as a trader and distributor, purchasing cocoa from approximately 20,000 farmers via 2,000 purchasing clerks and selling to the state-run Cocoa Board of Ghana (COCOBOD). While the company demonstrates high compliance in inclusive structures and stakeholder treatment, it shows significant gaps in formal strategy, human resource systematization, and environmental impact management.

This case study examines LIMBUA Group Limited, a Kenyan small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) specializing in the processing and marketing of organic macadamia, avocado, and mangoes. The document assesses the company's compliance with the Committee on World Food Security’s Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) using a specialized RAI Tool. The analysis finds that LIMBUA generally demonstrates a high level of responsible agricultural investment through its sustainable business model, inclusive employment practices, and support for smallholder farmers in central Kenya.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the emergence of agricultural growth poles (agropoles) and corridors in Africa. It analyzes these tools as strategies to attract private investment and transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, while highlighting the legal, financial, and operational risks associated with their implementation.

This case study describes the application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to the Rabat bypass road project in Morocco. The analysis, conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM), evaluates the financial impact of operational risks and external factors—such as CO2 emissions and accident costs—that are typically omitted from conventional financial analyses.

This policy brief analyzes the Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) policies of the Sao Paulo State Government in Brazil, detailing the institutional, legal, and procedural frameworks used to integrate socio-environmental criteria into the purchase of goods, services, and construction works.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines Argentina's efforts to reduce fossil fuel production subsidies, specifically focusing on the phase-out of oil production incentives while maintaining support for unconventional gas development in the Vaca Muerta field.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development details the Government of Canada's efforts to reform and phase out fiscal subsidies for fossil fuel exploration and development, primarily through the adjustment of tax expenditures between 2011 and 2022.

This case study examines the governance and progress of the European Union's efforts to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2020, specifically focusing on the mandatory removal of hard coal mining subsidies by 2018 and the broader goals for oil, gas, and coal.

This case study examines the evolution of India's Clean Energy Cess on coal production from 2010 to 2018, detailing its transition from a fund for renewable energy to a mechanism for state budget compensation.

This case study examines the use of consumption taxes on fossil fuels in Saudi Arabia, China, and South Africa to raise government revenue and support clean energy transitions.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the potential impacts of World Trade Organization (WTO) fisheries subsidy rules, using shrimp fisheries in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) as a case study. It analyzes how subsidies contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, the prevalence of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the varying economic dependence of industrial versus artisanal fleets on public support.

This case study examines market access barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh across four key export industries: leather and leather goods, knitwear, pharmaceuticals, and shrimp processing, specifically focusing on trade with the European Union (EU). While the EU's 'Everything But Arms' (EBA) policy has removed most tariffs and quotas, the study finds that non-tariff barriers (NTBs)—particularly technical regulations, standards, and certification requirements—remain significant obstacles to trade expansion.

This research paper examines the challenges developing countries face in implementing Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) standards and technical regulations. It argues that these requirements, while intended to promote sustainable development, often act as technical barriers to trade due to a lack of institutional infrastructure in rule making, conformity assessment, and accreditation. The author highlights how the gap in technical capacity and the high cost of certification disproportionately affect small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and calls for increased technical assistance under the WTO's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement).

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores the intersection of the mining industry and Water-Energy-Food (WEF) security. It proposes a methodological framework using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model and hydrological modelling to manage the risks and opportunities associated with mining developments, featuring a current application of this approach in Suriname.