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This issue brief analyzes China's clean power sector, detailing its massive growth in electricity capacity, its continued heavy reliance on coal, and the government's strategic shift toward renewable energy and emissions controls under the 12th Five Year Plan.

The report examines the intersection of ICTs and sustainability, arguing that the information revolution has fundamentally altered social and economic structures in ways that the sustainable development community has largely ignored. While ICTs offer potential for carbon reduction through 'smart systems,' they also create significant environmental harms via short device life cycles and energy-intensive data centres. The authors criticize the Rio+20 Summit for treating ICTs as incidental tools rather than systemic drivers of change and call for a shift away from formal UN summits toward more adaptive, multistakeholder dialogues to bridge the gap between the ICT and sustainability sectors.

This report documents a series of workshops organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) between 2008 and 2011. The workshops focused on the intersection of Internet policy, governance, and sustainable development, exploring how technical and policy decisions regarding the Internet impact social, economic, and environmental goals.

This policy brief examines the implementation and impacts of Iran's Targeted Subsidies Reform Act, which began in December 2010 to phase out energy subsidies and replace them with cash transfers. It details the challenges of price adjustments, the fiscal burden of universal cash payments, and the complicating effects of international sanctions on inflation and the foreign exchange market.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes Ethiopia's economic trajectory, focusing on its massive infrastructure investments, its strategic regional position, and the challenges it faces in business competitiveness and trade integration compared to Kenya.

This case study examines how China leveraged the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol to build expertise in carbon markets and prepare for a domestic emissions trading system. It highlights the role of powerful government ministries, coordinated capacity building, and specific regulatory controls used to ensure local sustainable development benefits and protect national economic interests.

This policy brief examines the successful adoption of solar water heater (SWH) technology in Barbados, detailing how a combination of early entrepreneurial leadership, consistent government fiscal incentives, and strategic consumer marketing created a thriving industry that reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels.

A statement by Friends of the Earth Argentina detailing the expansion of large-scale mining in Argentina and the subsequent repression of environmental activists and local populations who oppose the extractivist model.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International detailing human rights violations and state repression of anti-mining protests in Argentina, highlighting the conflict between large-scale extractive projects and the rights to water and a healthy environment.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the effectiveness of investment incentives in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). It argues that fiscal incentives cannot compensate for a weak investment climate and recommends a transition from automatic tax holidays toward targeted, performance-based incentives and transparent tax administration.

This report provides a legal and institutional analysis of Indigenous Peoples' and Local Communities Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs) in Kenya. It examines the intersection of national legislation, international law, and customary practices across various ecosystems, including pastoralist rangelands, forests, and coastal marine areas. The document highlights the transition from 'trust land' to 'community land' under the 2010 Constitution as a pivotal reform for securing collective tenure and supporting community-led conservation efforts.

This policy briefing examines the impact of the coal mining boom in Mozambique, specifically in Tete province. It analyzes the role of multinational corporations like Vale, Rio Tinto, and Jindal Steel, the challenges of rapid infrastructure growth, and the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in promoting local development.

This document is an amicus curiae brief submitted by EarthRights International and the Center for International Environmental Law to the Constitutional Court of Peru. It argues that the Peruvian state violated the fundamental rights of the Arboleda indigenous people and other titled peoples in the Tiquillaca district by granting mining concessions without prior consultation, as required by international law and the Peruvian Constitution.

This factsheet outlines the fiscal impact of fuel subsidies in India, the government's targets for subsidy reduction, and a series of research reports by IISD, NIPFP, and TERI aimed at reforming diesel, LPG, and kerosene subsidies through mechanisms like cash transfers.

A guide providing an introduction to the costs and benefits of energy subsidies in Nigeria, focusing on fuel and electricity, and their impact on sustainable development and economic stability.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued a position statement calling for transparency and accountability in the South African government's decision-making process regarding shale gas fracking exploration licences in the Karoo basin.

This statement examines whether the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should waive the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in response to a 2012 drought in the United States that damaged corn and soybean crops. While livestock and dairy producers have petitioned for a waiver to lower corn feed prices, the document argues that such a move would have minimal impact on prices while severely harming the biofuels industry and its long-term goals.

This 2012 report by the Centre for Environmental Rights, funded by WWF-SA, evaluates the system for financial provisions for mine rehabilitation and closure in South Africa. It identifies systemic failures in the estimation, securing, and reporting of these funds, arguing that current practices often lead to the underestimation of environmental liabilities and leave the state vulnerable to costs from abandoned mines.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the Ouarzazate I Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in Morocco. It examines how a public-private partnership (PPP) model, supported by significant international concessional finance and government subsidies, was used to overcome the high capital costs and commercial immaturity of CSP technology to establish a foundation for a larger regional solar portfolio.

This policy briefing analyzes the Maputo Development Corridor as a model for regional economic integration within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It examines the corridor's establishment, the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs), its achievements in reducing transit times, and the remaining operational and political constraints that hinder its full potential.