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This brochure describes the activities and focus areas of the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) Economic Law and Policy Program, which provides technical expertise and policy advice to government officials in developing countries to foster equitable and environmentally sustainable economic development.

This fact sheet describes the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) approach to freshwater management, which integrates scientific research from the IISD Experimental Lakes Area with policy solutions for watershed management, bioeconomies, and international basin cooperation.

This policy brief examines China's strategic pursuit of bauxite resources in the Mekong region, specifically Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, to support its growing aluminum industry. It analyzes the economic drivers, the role of Chinese state-owned enterprises, the regulatory challenges in host countries, and the significant environmental and social risks associated with bauxite mining and smelting.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) analyzes how the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India affected the costs and subsidies of solar photovoltaic (PV) and coal-fired thermal power. The analysis finds that the GST has created a relative bias in favor of coal by increasing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for new solar PV plants while reducing variable costs for existing coal plants.

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development compares the costs of coal and renewable energy in Indonesia, highlighting the impact of coal subsidies and environmental externalities on energy competitiveness and electricity access.

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that renewable energy is more cost-effective than coal in Indonesia when externalities are considered and highlights the disparity in subsidies between the two energy sources.

This February 2021 briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines Indonesia's energy policy landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic. It details the fluctuations in fuel and LPG subsidies, the government's strategic push for coal derivatives to reduce imports, and the challenges facing the renewable energy transition, including regulatory uncertainty and project delays.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for a shift from short-term, project-based grants to long-term core funding for Community-Based Water Monitoring (CBWM) in Canada. It argues that CBWM is a cost-effective and scientifically rigorous method to address significant gaps in Canada's water quality and flow data, which currently hinder watershed health assessments and risk management.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates the feasibility of tree planting in the Canadian prairie ecozone as a method to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It reviews international policies from the European Union, the United States, and Canada, while analyzing the environmental, economic, and social benefits of afforestation alongside the direct and opportunity costs involved.

This report examines the potential, challenges, and opportunities of expanding tiger shrimp aquaculture on sandy land in Vietnam's central provinces. It highlights a shift toward utilizing previously unproductive coastal sandy areas to alleviate poverty and diversify livelihoods, while warning against unplanned expansion that could lead to environmental degradation and groundwater depletion.

This policy brief examines China's expanding economic role in the Mekong region, specifically its investments in natural resources, energy, and infrastructure in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It highlights China's strategic shift toward securing foreign resources to fuel its domestic industrial growth and the resulting environmental and social challenges in host countries.

A fact sheet by the International Institute for Sustainable Development detailing the economic and operational benefits of water retention projects for livestock farm owners and their neighbors in the Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District.

This report analyzes the relationship between international trade liberalization and sustainable development in Argentina during the 1990s. It examines how economic reforms, including the Convertibility Plan and the creation of Mercosur, influenced the country's export patterns and their subsequent environmental impacts, focusing specifically on the manufacturing sector and the intensification of agricultural production in the Pampas region.

This monograph captures the proceedings of a seminar held in Pretoria on 18-19 April 2000, titled "Security in Africa: French and South African Perspectives." The document explores the intersection of national identity, human security, governance, and economic development, with a specific focus on the evolving roles of France and South Africa in African security. It analyzes various conflict zones, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, and West Africa, while evaluating the effectiveness of regional and international intervention frameworks such as the UN, OAU, SADC, and ECOWAS.

This RMI fact sheet argues that renewables and battery storage are now more effective than natural gas for supporting economic development and energy access in the Global South, offering superior reliability, deployment speed, and cost-effectiveness while avoiding the long-term financial and security risks associated with gas infrastructure.

The document, titled "The Origins of the Nuclear Power Fiasco," is a critical analysis of the failure of the U.S. civilian nuclear power industry. It argues that the industry collapsed due to a combination of structural and conceptual errors, including the promotion of economic myths, a failure to account for the real costs of safety and waste management, and a federal energy policy that prioritized hardware development over energy efficiency and market reality.

Amory Lovins responds to a critique by William Tucker regarding the economic viability of nuclear power, asserting that new U.S. reactors lack a business case and are unable to attract private capital despite significant subsidies.

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and PG&E examines the challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of zero net energy (ZNE) buildings and distributed energy resources (DERs). It argues that traditional utility business models and volumetric rate structures are poorly adapted to a bidirectional power system, potentially leading to economic inefficiencies and equity issues. The authors propose a framework for solutions based on rigorous impact measurement, the use of price signals to align incentives, and the evolution of utility business models toward either incentive-based regulation or a network utility model.

This briefing by RMI outlines the technical, economic, and institutional barriers to the widespread adoption of carbon fiber composites in the U.S. automotive industry. It proposes a collaborative approach to transition from individual part substitution to full composite body-in-white construction to improve fuel efficiency and reduce oil dependence.

This document is a rebuttal by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to an article and subsequent response by Charles C. Mann in The Atlantic. Lovins argues that Mann ignores the role of efficiency and technological innovation in reducing oil demand and misrepresents the reliability and economic viability of renewable energy, specifically in Germany.