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The report analyzes the challenges of decarbonizing Canada's critical minerals sector, noting that while Canada currently has a low-carbon advantage due to clean electricity grids, this edge may erode as other nations transition. It identifies three primary barriers: a lack of market demand for low-carbon minerals (no 'green premium'), fragmented supply chain infrastructure hindering traceability, and supply-side hurdles including the slow commercialization of electric ultra-class haul trucks and limited access to low-carbon power for off-grid mines. The author recommends a policy toolkit including the integration of emissions intensity into support programs, funding for R&D in technologies like direct lithium extraction, and the maintenance of large-emitter trading systems.

The document analyzes how climate change and the transition to net zero impact the reliability and resilience of Canada's electricity grid. It identifies risks across generation, transmission, and distribution, and proposes solutions such as infrastructure hardening, increasing system flexibility, and updating regulatory frameworks and building codes.

The document analyzes how climate change and the transition to a carbon-neutral economy threaten the resilience of Canada's electrical grids. It details risks to power generation, transmission, and distribution, while highlighting the danger of 'cascading effects' where power failures disrupt other essential services. The paper proposes mitigation strategies including infrastructure hardening, increasing grid flexibility through energy storage and decentralized resources, and improving energy efficiency. It also identifies systemic obstacles, such as regulatory frameworks that prioritize short-term reliability over long-term resilience and outdated building codes based on historical rather than future climate data.

The report documents a sophisticated ecosystem of climate disinformation in Canada, where denial and delayism are used to delegitimise scientific consensus and policy. It identifies regional vulnerabilities, particularly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and highlights how climate narratives are often blended with anti-feminist, anti-2SLGBTQIA+, and anti-immigrant tropes. The analysis details the roles of domestic media, influencers, and transnational linkages in amplifying claims that climate policy is an authoritarian tool of global elites.

The American market for eco-certified fish is growing due to increased consumer awareness, particularly among younger generations. Manitoban walleye and lake whitefish are in high demand within the Midwestern United States, and several major US retailers stock MSC-certified fish.

The document defines Ecohealth as the recognition that human well-being depends on healthy ecosystems, specifically emphasizing the role of watersheds. It argues that managing watersheds provides 'double dividends' by improving both social and environmental health determinants. The text highlights the cost-effectiveness of ecosystem restoration over engineered solutions and notes that climate change increases water-related risks in Canada. It calls for breaking down 'silos' between health and environmental practitioners and provides case studies from British Columbia and Manitoba to illustrate the benefits of integrated watershed stewardship.

A policy brief calling for the total removal of fossil fuel production subsidies in Canada by 2020, arguing that such subsidies undermine carbon pricing and the transition to clean energy.

The infographic compares three water storage options for Manitoba: expanded ditches, filter fields and ponds, and back-filled dams. It evaluates each based on capital and operating costs against benefits such as flood mitigation, drought avoidance, carbon credits, and nutrient management. Back-filled dams show the highest benefit/cost ratio at 371%, followed by expanded ditches at 194% and filter fields and ponds at 128%.

The fact sheet details how eco-certification helps fisheries avoid revenue loss, improve public image, and ensure long-term stock stability and predictable income. It highlights a specific case in Manitoba where returns on investment are estimated between CAD 16 and CAD 250 for every CAD 1 invested.

Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) are artificial platforms that enable aquatic plants to grow in deep water, utilizing a combination of plant uptake and microbial biofilms to remove pollutants. Research by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) demonstrates that FTWs can significantly reduce phosphorus levels, remove certain pharmaceuticals and herbicides, and potentially mitigate oil spills. The system is applicable to various freshwater environments, including lakes, stormwater ponds, and wastewater lagoons.

The document argues that Manitoba's wetlands are critical 'green infrastructure' that regulate water, filter pollutants, and support biodiversity. It details the severe loss of these ecosystems—exceeding 90% in parts of the Red River watershed—and discusses the consequences, including increased flooding and nutrient runoff into Lake Winnipeg. The text highlights the versatility of cattails for food and bioenergy, and outlines provincial strategies and local projects aimed at wetland protection and restoration.

IISD argues that proposed drainage regulations in Manitoba would undermine the goal of no net loss of wetland benefits by enabling the drainage of permanent wetlands (Classes 3, 4, and 5) through payment or purchase options. The organization recommends legislating full protection for Class 4 and 5 wetlands, enhancing protections for Class 3 wetlands, and requiring drainage licenses for all new subsurface tile drainage. Additionally, IISD calls for public online access to drainage permit applications, mandatory downstream landowner approvals for culvert changes that increase flow, and the completion of a provincial wetland inventory to support monitoring and evaluation.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent policy research organization that operates across six primary programs: Economic Law and Policy, Energy, Water, Resilience, SDG Knowledge, and Reporting Services. The organization focuses on creating holistic, interconnected solutions to global challenges, providing technical support to developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and tracking the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its work spans nearly 100 countries, ranging from supporting solar power transitions in India to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies in Indonesia.

The report evaluates tree planting in the Canadian prairie ecozone as a carbon sequestration strategy. It concludes that while tree planting provides significant environmental, economic, and social benefits—such as erosion control and energy savings—it cannot alone meet Canada's goal of stabilizing GHG emissions at 1990 levels. The document advocates for a combined approach including fuel switching, energy efficiency, and improved agricultural practices. It details the direct costs of planting in Saskatchewan and the potential for carbon credit markets, while noting that the long-term sequestration potential of trees exceeds that of agricultural crops.

The SAVi assessment demonstrates that natural and nature-based infrastructure in Manitoba provide high economic value and cost-effective alternatives to built assets. For Stephenfield Reservoir, the cumulative discounted value of agriculture-related services is CAD 6.07 billion by 2050, while replacing it with grey infrastructure would require CAD 5.3 million in capital costs. Pelly's Lake provides cumulative discounted ecosystem services valued at approximately CAD 60 million between 2019 and 2050, primarily driven by nutrient removal and carbon sequestration.

Agricultural land covers approximately 7% of Canada, with 82% of this land located in the Prairie provinces. While biodiversity on farmlands supports soil health and pest control, increased farming intensity in Canada is currently harming soil health and wildlife capacity. Improving biodiversity and soil health is noted as a way to reduce synthetic input needs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and increase resilience to extreme weather events like droughts and floods.

The ADAPTool is a Microsoft Excel-based tool for policy-makers to design policies that are resilient to future stressors. It utilizes a five-worksheet process to analyze policy objectives, identify stressors, assess vulnerabilities, evaluate adaptive capacity, and synthesize design recommendations. The process is intended to be iterative, led by a trained designer and a team of 5 to 10 experts across four structured meetings.

The IISD-Europe program on sustainable procurement provides policy advisory and research services to scale up green industrial growth through "whole life value" procurement. The institute advises governments on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and leads the International Initiative on Procurement and Green Growth. IISD argues that because public procurement accounts for 12–15 per cent of GDP in the EU and US, governments can use their purchasing power to trigger markets for sustainable goods and services and incentivize private sector investment in green technology.

The document highlights the environmental, social, and cultural benefits of habitat conservation in Asatiwispi Aki, Manitoba. It emphasizes the role of the boreal forest in carbon sequestration, water protection for Lake Winnipeg, and the preservation of First Nation traditional knowledge and culture. These efforts are framed as contributions to Canada's Paris Agreement and Convention on Biological Diversity commitments.

The report establishes a multi-stakeholder process to identify quality of life indicators for Winnipeg, categorizing them into Urban Environment, Urban Economy, Community Assets, Individual Well-being, and Community Leadership and Pride. It assesses the availability of data from sources like Statistics Canada and city departments, identifying significant gaps in areas such as equity and citizenship. The document concludes with a three-stage implementation plan to institutionalize measurement and reporting every 2-4 years.