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The Knowledge to Act
The document is a brochure for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), an independent policy research organization. It outlines the organization's mission to provide the knowledge necessary for sustainable development through six core programs: Sustainable Economies, Clean Energy, Fresh Water, Resilient Communities, SDG Knowledge, and Reporting Services.
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Document type: Guide
Water
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Arctic Initiative Empowering bottom-up transformations to sustainability
This fact sheet outlines the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) Arctic Initiative, which focuses on supporting bottom-up transformations to sustainability in the Arctic region. The initiative addresses root causes of sustainability challenges through four primary areas: climate change adaptation and food security, extractive industries, infrastructure and renewable energy development, and transformative knowledge.
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Document type: Fact sheet
iisd_canada_brochure_2014_online-d36dd1e78fbb972c.pdf
This brochure describes the activities and strategic priorities of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), focusing on its role as a research and innovation centre that integrates environmental and social priorities with economic development, particularly within the Canadian context.
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Document type: Fact sheet
In Search of Aluminum: China’s Role in the Mekong Region - Policy Brief
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.
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Document type: Policy brief
Inclusive Investment in Agriculture: Cooperatives and the role of foreign investment.
This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines agricultural cooperatives as a model for inclusive investment. It details the different types of cooperatives, their benefits for smallholder farmers, the role of foreign investment in these structures, and the necessary legal and governmental frameworks to support their success.
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Document type: Policy brief
Climate Change Risks and Resilience Options for Canada’s Built Infrastructure
This fact sheet outlines the risks posed by various climate hazards to Canada's built infrastructure and suggests corresponding resilience options across several sectors, including waterC water, buildings, transportation, and energy.
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Document type: Fact sheet
A Cost-Effective Enhancement for Canada’s Environmental Monitoring Network | Policy Brief
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.
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Document type: Policy brief
INVESTMENT, DOHA AND THE WTO
This briefing paper analyzes the prospects and challenges of negotiating a multilateral investment agreement within the World Trade Organization (WTO) following the Doha Ministerial Statement. It critiques existing international investment agreements (IIAs), specifically NAFTA's Chapter 11 and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), for prioritizing investor rights over public welfare and sustainable development. The author argues that the WTO may lack the institutional capacity to deliver a balanced agreement and proposes a new framework that incorporates obligations for investors and home states alongside the rights of host states to regulate in the public interest.
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Document type: Briefing
Towards A Southern Agenda on International Investment: Discussion Paper on the Role of International Investment Agreements
This 2004 research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the relationship between international investment agreements (IIAs) and sustainable development. It argues that the traditional model of IIAs, which focuses heavily on investor protections, has failed to empirically prove its ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and often conflicts with the regulatory needs and development priorities of host states. The paper advocates for a 'Southern Agenda' that balances private investor rights with public goods, transparency, and the specific needs of developing countries.
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Document type: Research paper
Life Cycle Costing in Sustainable Public Procurement: A Question of Value
This white paper examines the integration of Life Cycle Costing (LCC) within sustainable public procurement (SPP), arguing that current models often fail to deliver the best value for taxpayers by overemphasizing upfront purchase prices over long-term operational and environmental costs. The authors identify systemic barriers—including conflicting capital and revenue budgets, a lack of professional expertise, and data gaps—and recommend that LCC be integrated into high-level public expenditure and resource allocation policies rather than remaining a routine procurement task.
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Document type: Report
meeting-canada-subsidy-phase-out-goal-quebec-fr-d820f32a9a18a320.pdf
This November 2016 briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of Quebec in helping Canada meet its G7 commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The document focuses specifically on consumption subsidies in Quebec, which it argues act as a 'negative price on carbon' and undermine the province's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.
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Document type: Briefing
In the Arbitration under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
This document consists of the final submissions made by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on October 16, 2000, to an arbitral tribunal. The IISD is petitioning for amicus curiae status in the Chapter 11 NAFTA arbitration between Methanex Corporation and the United States of America, arguing that the case involves significant public interest and environmental issues that warrant independent legal perspectives.
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Document type: Briefing
Strategic Intentions: Principles for Formal Knowledge Networks
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) defines and establishes operating principles for 'formal knowledge networks' designed to influence sustainable development policy. It distinguishes these from other collaboration models—such as communities of practice or information networks—by emphasizing a structured, outcome-oriented approach that targets decision-makers rather than just facilitating information exchange among members.
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Document type: Report
Youth Networking, Education and Communications Channels Across the Circumpolar Region
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores the communication channels, education opportunities, and networking patterns of youth across the circumpolar region. Based on a limited sample of 19 interviews and media scans, the study identifies a lack of youth-specific mainstream media, significant barriers to formal education in Northern Canada, and a reliance on personal, face-to-face interaction for effective engagement. The report highlights the role of the OOKPIK website in hosting directories of youth networks and media to improve connectivity among young Northerners.
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Document type: Report
Offsetting CO2 Emissions Tree Planting on the Prairies
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.
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Document type: Report
Can We Measure Resilience? Reducing Agriculture’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) discusses the application of resilience measurement in the agricultural sector, specifically focusing on a study conducted in eastern Ontario, Canada. It outlines a system-based approach to developing resilience indicators that move beyond traditional risk-reduction to assess the capacity of socioeconomic and natural systems to absorb shocks and transform.
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Document type: Briefing
Good Regulatory Practice Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements
This IISD report analyzes the inclusion of Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) and International Regulatory Cooperation (IRC) provisions in regional trade agreements (RTAs), with a primary focus on the USMCA and a comparison with CETA. It examines how these provisions aim to reduce non-tariff trade costs and improve regulatory transparency and stakeholder engagement, while highlighting the administrative and political challenges these obligations may pose for developing countries.
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Document type: Report
GSI_RelativeEnergySubsidiesJuly2010
This report by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) provides preliminary estimates of global energy subsidies by source for 2007, detailing the assumptions and calculations used for nuclear energy, renewable energy, biofuels, fossil fuels, and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
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Document type: Report
A perspective from the water science community
This briefing from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines the water science community's perspective on the role of water in the green economy, emphasizing that water security is fundamental to food and energy production and requires integrated management to address climate and land-use change.
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Document type: Briefing