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This case study by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) details a deep energy efficiency retrofit of the Empire State Building in New York City. The project focused on reducing thermal loads and upgrading systems to achieve significant energy savings and carbon reductions, utilizing an integrative design process and life cycle cost analysis to balance financial returns with environmental goals.

This document contains the proceedings of a two-day workshop held in August 2009 by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and EcoSanRes. The workshop focused on the legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks required to promote the sustainable reuse of nutrients from wastewater, human excreta, and greywater across various global regions.

This research paper explores the financing of climate change adaptation in developing countries, focusing on the intersection of adaptation and poverty reduction. It examines the costs of adaptation, methods for generating and channeling funds, and the effectiveness of spending strategies to support the world's poorest communities.

This report explores the governance challenges facing collaborative, multistakeholder enterprises that operate as non-legal entities by being hosted by other institutions. It identifies systemic vulnerabilities in accountability, fiduciary responsibility, and financial transparency, arguing that these entities often lack the rigorous governance discipline required of independent legal organizations.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession experiences of Nepal and Cambodia, the first least-developed countries (LDCs) to join the WTO since 1995. The document examines the challenges of the accession process, the stringency of the resulting commitments, and the difficulties in implementing legislative reforms, concluding that WTO membership has had limited direct impact on trade expansion due to persistent supply-side constraints and inadequate post-accession technical assistance.

This report by Friends of the Earth International criticizes the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for financing large-scale, export-oriented agrofuel projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. The document argues that these projects exacerbate social and environmental inequities, threaten biodiversity, and may increase greenhouse gas emissions due to land-use changes, rather than serving as a viable climate solution.

This research paper by Bashir Twesigye analyzes the 2006 citizen-led campaign to prevent the Ugandan government from granting 7,100 hectares of the Mabira Central Forest Reserve to the Mehta Group for sugarcane production. The author examines how environmental activism served as a vehicle for broader governance and accountability demands, leveraging Uganda's 1995 Constitution and the National Environment Act to successfully halt the land transfer.

This 2008 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes global forest product commodity chains with China as the central manufacturing hub. It examines how China imports primary raw materials from developing nations—specifically focusing on case studies in Mozambique and Russia—and exports finished wood products to developed Western markets. The report identifies a systemic failure in sustainability where capital from timber sales often fails to return to forest regeneration, leading to asset-stripping and illegal logging, exacerbated by poor governance in supplier countries and irresponsible corporate behavior. It provides a series of policy recommendations for the Chinese government to transition toward sustainable procurement, capacity-building in supplier nations, and international leadership in carbon accounting and legality verification.

This case study examines the development of the Namibian table grape industry, initiated by entrepreneur Dusan Vasiljevic in 1988. It details how the industry leveraged Namibia's coastal climate to fill a seasonal gap in the European market, the role of government negotiations for EU market access, and the subsequent economic impact on the Karas and South Central regions.

This case study examines El Salvador's transition from a 'banana republic' characterized by political instability and agricultural dependency to a more diversified, deregulated economy. It details the country's post-civil war reforms, economic strategies, and the remaining challenges it faces, offering lessons for other developing regions, specifically Africa.

This report, prepared by the FiFo Institute of Public Economics for the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), tests a proposed standardized notification template for subsidies to be used by World Trade Organization (WTO) Members. Using Germany as a case study, the authors demonstrate a significant discrepancy between official WTO notifications and the actual volume of specific subsidies granted by the federal government and the sixteen Länder (states). The report proposes technical improvements to the notification process, including a unique subsidy identifier, to increase transparency and compliance with the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM).

This research paper examines how agricultural producers and organizations in the Coaldale and Foremost regions of Southern Alberta respond to extreme weather events and other systemic shocks. Through 40 semi-structured interviews conducted between November 2007 and February 2008, the study identifies common weather stressors—specifically the 2001 drought, 2002 flooding, and 2007 extreme heat—and evaluates the effectiveness of short-term coping mechanisms and long-term adaptation strategies, such as no-till farming and irrigation efficiency.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) examines the domestic implementation of the Rome Statute in five African countries: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It finds that while these states ratified the statute, none had enacted implementing legislation by early 2008, leaving them unable to fully respond to International Criminal Court (ICC) requests for arrest and surrender or to prosecute international crimes domestically. The report identifies systemic barriers, including a lack of political priority, capacity shortfalls in legal drafting, and concerns over official immunities.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes the early experiences of countries participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It examines the APRM as a political process, detailing the tensions between governments and civil society, and provides strategic guidance for civil society organizations to influence the review process. The document concludes with a critique of the APRM's operational shortcomings, specifically regarding time pressures, inadequate guidelines, and the superficial nature of Programmes of Action (POAs).

This report examines the environmental implications of trade liberalization within the medicinal plants and spices sector of the Lao PDR, highlighting the tension between economic growth from regional demand and the risk of resource depletion.

This report analyzes the global forest product commodity chain with China as the central processing hub, importing raw materials from developing nations and exporting finished goods to Western consumers. It identifies systemic sustainability challenges, including illegal logging and poor forest governance in supplier countries like Mozambique and Russia, and suggests policy reforms for the Chinese government to ensure long-term timber security and improve its global reputation.

The 'Choose the Future: Education for Sustainable Development' conference, held in Winnipeg, Canada, from November 26–28, 2008, served as a forum for educators, business leaders, and government officials to discuss the integration of sustainable development (SD) into formal and non-formal education. Organized by the Manitoba Education for Sustainable Development Working Group (MESDWG), the event aligned with the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) and showcased various initiatives, research, and leadership models aimed at fostering a culture of sustainability in Manitoba and across Canada.

This 2008 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the SEED Initiative examines the challenges and processes of scaling up and replicating social and environmental enterprises. It contrasts the 'large scale' ambitions of international development donors with the modest, viability-focused growth goals of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), suggesting that recognition and reward programs should provide more tailored, long-term support and help create enabling environments rather than expecting entrepreneurs to drive systemic societal transformation alone.

This 2008 report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade in Southern Africa, specifically focusing on the road transport corridor between Durban and Gaborone. The study aims to develop a measurement approach for NTBs by quantifying direct and indirect costs—such as toll fees, fuel consumption from stop-start operations, and downtime—to determine their impact on supply chain costs and overall export competitiveness.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the role of 'soft components'—social and institutional investments—in agricultural water management (AWM) interventions at the mesoscale (community or sub-catchment level). Through meta-analyses and case studies across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the report argues that high initial social capital and participatory methodologies are critical for the sustainable adoption of AWM technologies. It highlights a significant gap in the monitoring and economic valuation of these soft components and their long-term environmental and social impacts.