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This report analyzes energy subsidies in South Africa for financial year (FY) 2025, finding that they totaled at least ZAR 198 billion (USD 10.8 billion). The analysis highlights a heavy reliance on fossil fuel subsidies, significant financial bailouts for the state-owned power company Eskom, and inefficiencies in the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) policy. The document recommends a comprehensive action plan for subsidy reform, a financial recovery plan for Eskom, and a redesign of the carbon tax and liquid fuel subsidies to better support low-income households and the energy transition.

The 'Guidebook on the Management and Financing of Soil Rehabilitation Projects in China' is part of a five-year project supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explore green finance approaches and financial mechanisms for remediating contaminated soils in China.

This research paper by Nicolas Lamp explores the emergence of 'multi-purpose trade policy,' a paradigm shift where trade policy is no longer focused solely on economic efficiency and liberalization, but is instead used as a tool to achieve broader goals such as climate mitigation, national security, and labor rights.

The 'Step Off the Gas' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes international public finance for natural gas expansion in the Global South, arguing that such funding locks countries into high-carbon pathways despite the availability of cheaper renewable alternatives.

This research paper analyzes the state of agricultural negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). It details persistent disagreements over domestic support, public food stocks, and market access, while identifying three specific areas where Least Developed Countries (LDCs) could achieve tangible progress: the reduction of trade-distorting cotton subsidies, improved market access for cotton products, and exemptions from export restrictions.

The paper argues that the current divide between the WTO's non-binding environmental dialogues and unilateral trade measures (like the EU's CBAM) is insufficient for global environmental governance. It advocates for 'hybrid' plurilateral agreements—such as the one initiated by New Zealand—that integrate trade and environment goals into binding, cooperative frameworks.

This research paper by Robert Howse analyzes the current state of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system following the blockage of the Appellate Body by the Trump administration. Howse argues that despite the absence of a functioning Appellate Body, the system remains resilient as panels continue to follow established jurisprudence, and some members are experimenting with ad hoc arbitration mechanisms like the MPIA.

This report argues that National Oil Companies (NOCs) are critical to the success of the energy transition due to their massive production and reserve shares, and urges investors to leverage their financial exposure to push these companies toward decarbonization.

This briefing analyzes the potential impact of the OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework's global tax reforms—specifically Pillar One and Pillar Two—on resource-rich developing countries and the mining sector. While some extractive industries are excluded from certain new taxing rights, the document warns that other elements of the reform could undermine national sovereignty and the ability of developing nations to collect revenue from their natural resources.

A fact sheet by the International Institute for Sustainable Development detailing the challenges of electricity access, service quality, and financial sustainability of distribution companies in Uttar Pradesh, India.

This fact sheet outlines a blueprint for a fossil-free recovery, arguing that G20 governments should stop funding fossil fuel production and instead use revenues from subsidy reforms and taxes—potentially USD 553 billion annually—to fund clean energy, energy efficiency, and universal energy access. It emphasizes the need for private investment in clean electricity and a just transition involving workers, employers, and governments.

This background paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the international arbitration case of Vattenfall v. Germany. It analyzes how the Swedish energy utility Vattenfall used the Energy Charter Treaty to challenge German environmental restrictions on a coal-fired power plant, highlighting the tension between international investment protections and a state's ability to regulate for the environment.

This report examines the tension between trade liberalization and environmental conservation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It highlights how rapid economic growth and infrastructure development have exacerbated illegal wildlife and timber trade and increased vulnerability to climate change, while regional governance remains hampered by non-binding agreements and limited administrative capacity.

This report analyzes the clean energy market for electricity generation in Chile, examining the current state of the electricity grid, investment trends, and the regulatory framework. It identifies significant potential for non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) but highlights substantial economic, regulatory, and financial barriers that hinder large-scale adoption.

This report examines the potential, status, and barriers facing Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in developing countries. It analyzes how ESCOs use energy performance contracting (EPC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, highlighting China as a major success story while identifying systemic financing, administrative, and policy hurdles in other regions.

This report analyzes the fiscal implications of the clean energy transition for the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), focusing on the reliance of government budgets on fossil fuel revenues and the impact of existing subsidies.

This case study examines South Africa's heavy reliance on coal and the resulting fiscal implications for its energy transition. It details the role of state-owned enterprises, the structure of fossil fuel revenues and subsidies, and the government's climate commitments via its Nationally Determined Contribution.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines why the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS) remain high, particularly within Canada's oil and gas sector. It argues that high design complexity and the need for customization prevent the cost reductions seen in renewable energy technologies, making CCS an inefficient use of public funds for oil and gas, though potentially useful for hard-to-abate industrial sectors like cement.

The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit is a collaborative, wiki-based online platform launched in 2008 to provide social and environmental entrepreneurs with resources, knowledge, and peer-to-peer advice to enhance business performance and sustainable development impacts.

This policy brief, submitted by a coalition including the International Institute for Sustainable Development and Oil Change International, urges the Canadian government to eliminate all federal and provincial subsidies for oil, natural gas, and coal production by 2020. The authors argue that these subsidies undermine carbon pricing efforts and contradict Canada's international climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and G20/G7 frameworks.