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This executive summary examines Environmental Fiscal Reform (EFR) as a mechanism to fund renewable energy deployment in China. By analyzing eight international case studies, the report explores how environmental taxes and carbon trading can generate revenue for green energy while mitigating impacts on economic growth and competitiveness. It specifically discusses the role of earmarking revenues to increase transparency and investor confidence, while noting the political and economic challenges of implementing such measures within the Chinese context.

A statement by Friends of the Earth president Erich Pica alleging systemic conflicts of interest within the U.S. Department of State's review process for the Keystone XL pipeline, specifically regarding the hiring of contractors with oil industry ties.

Scott Vaughan's keynote address at the Ontario Climate Consortium’s Inaugural Climate Change Research Symposium discusses the urgent need for integrated climate adaptation strategies, the economic risks of non-linear temperature increases, and the necessity of policy coherence in government spending.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes four proposed regulatory scenarios for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada's oil and gas sector. The authors evaluate the trade-offs between emission-intensity targets and price ceilings, concluding that a 40 per cent intensity standard with a two-tiered price ceiling offers a balanced approach to environmental performance and economic competitiveness.

This report by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partners examines the health and economic costs of coal-fired electricity generation in Alberta. It details the pollutants emitted by coal plants, their specific impacts on vulnerable populations, and uses multiple modeling approaches to estimate the resulting premature deaths, illnesses, and societal costs. The report argues that the true cost of coal power is not reflected in market prices, effectively subsidizing coal at the expense of public health.

This briefing analyzes the divergent methods used to quantify the GHG emissions impact of new fossil fuel infrastructure. It contrasts the 'literalist' view (full combustion emissions), the 'fatalist' view (zero net impact due to displacement), and the 'economist' view (increased consumption due to lower prices). The authors conclude that a net-zero impact is highly unlikely due to market responses and systemic 'lock-in' effects.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions implications of the Keystone XL pipeline, specifically focusing on how the infrastructure might increase global oil consumption by lowering prices through increased supply.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the design of federal greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations for Canada's oil and gas sector. The authors argue that because the sector has a limited ability to deliver emission intensity improvements by 2020, regulations must incorporate compliance flexibility—both within the sector (via credit trading) and beyond the sector (via price ceilings and offsets)—to remain cost-effective while increasing environmental ambition.

This report examines the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within technical-vocational education and training (TVET) in Manitoba, Canada. It identifies promising practices, such as the development of a new alternative energy program and the inclusion of sustainability outcomes in curricula, while highlighting significant barriers including lack of funding for green equipment, insufficient teacher training, and a gap in provincial-level policy guidance. The report suggests strengthening partnerships with industry to identify green skill demands and expanding professional development for educators to better prepare students for a green economy.

This report analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks in Canada as they relate to Indigenous Peoples' Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs). It examines the tension between Canadian state law—characterized by a history of colonialism and assimilation—and the inherent rights of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples to govern their traditional lands and resources.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the impact of British Columbia's carbon tax and provides recommendations for its future. The document argues that the tax has successfully reduced emissions without hindering economic growth and suggests maintaining the current policy structure while addressing emerging challenges such as natural gas expansion and price misalignment with the United States.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (ATI) details global campaigns to defend community rights against corporate interests and neoliberal paradigms. It highlights various case studies where local and indigenous communities have resisted extractive industries, such as mining in Costa Rica and the Philippines, oil exploitation in Nigeria, and tar sands in Canada and the US, while promoting alternatives like community forest governance and food sovereignty.

This case study report examines agricultural participation in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) across four Canadian watersheds: the Okanagan Basin (BC), Lower Souris River (SK), Yamaska (QC), and Souris River (PEI). It analyzes the drivers and barriers to producer engagement, the institutional structures governing water management, and the resources provided by federal and provincial governments. The report concludes that while financial incentives are a primary driver for adopting beneficial management practices (BMPs), there is a critical need for better integration between high-level IWRM planning and on-the-ground agri-environmental implementation, supported by localized technical extension and consistent monitoring data.

This report evaluates Integrated Place-based Management (IPM) initiatives, focusing on how goals are defined and how monitoring and evaluation frameworks measure long-term environmental and governance impacts. It analyzes Canadian and international case studies to identify trends in the transition from short-term project reporting to long-term, adaptive monitoring that combines outcome-based environmental indicators with process-based governance indicators.

This report, prepared by EnviroEconomics Inc. for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Global Subsidies Initiative, estimates the value and impact of government subsidies for upstream oil activities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and at the Canadian federal level. Using a definition based on the WTO's Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, the study identifies 63 subsidy programs totaling approximately $2.8 billion annually. The report analyzes the distribution of these subsidies, their financial impact on well-level production, and their broader macroeconomic and environmental effects through 2020.

This report evaluates the feasibility of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from university data centres in Canada by analyzing three relocation or modification scenarios and proposing a 'green community cloud' alternative. The study focuses on three institutions: Dalhousie University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Alberta.

This report, an excerpt from a paper presented at the Banff Dialogue in April 2010, argues for the creation of a coherent national energy strategy for Canada to better manage its diverse energy resources and navigate its heavy trade dependence on the United States while transitioning toward low-carbon energy.

This research paper, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for the 2010 World Resources Report, argues that existing government practices can be harnessed to manage the risks and uncertainties of climate change. The authors propose a framework of seven adaptive policy-making practices divided into 'planned adaptability' and 'autonomous adaptability' to help policy-makers navigate complex, unpredictable socio-economic and ecological systems.

This 2009 research paper examines the energy relationships between Canada, the United States, and Mexico, focusing on how their integrated energy infrastructure and differing regulatory regimes impact climate change policy. It details the energy profiles of each nation, discusses the role of agencies like the NEB and FERC, and identifies potential trade frictions such as 'Buy American' rules and low-carbon fuel standards. The author proposes three policy scenarios for 2020, concluding that a 'bottom-up' approach with increasing bilateral linkages between Canada and the U.S. is the most probable outcome.

This case study examines the environmental information infrastructure supporting lentil production and conservation tillage in Canada, specifically within the Prairie region. It analyzes how information flows between farmers, researchers, and organizations to manage soil fertility and erosion, while identifying gaps between farm-level informal monitoring and national-level formal reporting.