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United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Glossary of Terms
This document is a glossary of terms used in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations and related activities, compiled by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) using definitions from the UNFCCC and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
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Document type: Guide
Increasing Subnational Pension Funds’ Climate Investments
This report analyzes the potential for subnational pension funds to increase investments in climate-smart urban infrastructure. It defines subnational pension funds as those limiting membership by location (province, region, state, city) or occupation. The document identifies structural and external barriers to these investments, evaluates the landscape across seven countries, and proposes financial instruments and policy recommendations to mobilize this untapped capital for the climate transition.
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Document type: Report
Clean Energy 101: Electric Trucks
This guide from RMI outlines the current state and potential for electrifying various trucking sectors in North America, from passenger pickups and delivery vans to medium-duty box trucks and heavy-duty big rigs. It highlights the economic viability of electrification for several segments and the significant greenhouse gas emission reductions possible through the transition.
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Document type: Guide
Electrifying Heating in Commercial and Institutional Buildings
This report outlines the necessity and pathways for electrifying heating in Canada's commercial and institutional (C&I) buildings to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It argues that electricity's share of C&I heating must rise from under 15% to at least 75% by 2050. The document identifies key barriers—including cheap natural gas and financing gaps—and proposes five catalysts: near-term planning, integrated utility regulation, aligned power supply planning, building performance standards, and innovative public-private financing.
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Document type: Report
Électrifier le chauffage des bâtiments commerciaux et institutionnels
This report advocates for the rapid electrification of heating in Canada's commercial and institutional buildings to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It argues that electricity's share of heating must rise from under 15% to at least 75% by 2050. To overcome barriers like low natural gas prices and high capital costs, the report proposes five catalysts: short-term corporate action plans, updated regulatory mandates for utilities, harmonized energy planning, building performance standards, and new public-private financing models.
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Document type: Report
Assessing the Climate Action Investment Practices of Canadian Community Foundations
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the endowment management practices of 191 Canadian community foundations (CCFs), focusing on the integration of climate action and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. The author finds that while CCFs are active in grantmaking, they have been "laggards" in using their combined estimated CAD 7 billion in endowments to address climate change, often treating ESG as a risk mitigation tool rather than an opportunity for climate-positive investment. The report provides recommendations to increase transparency, diversify investment committees, and adopt positive screening strategies to align financial assets with climate goals.
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Document type: Report
La santé dans le Programme environnemental mondial : Un guide des politiques
This policy guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development advocates for the integration of health and environmental sectors to address the "triple planetary crisis" of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. It aims to bridge the gap between health professionals and global environmental policy negotiations to support planetary health and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Document type: Guide
The Meaning of Do No Harm in a Planetary Health Crisis
A statement by Dr. Courtney Howard, Board President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), arguing that the medical principle of "Do No Harm" must be applied to planetary health. The document criticizes attempts by the fossil fuel industry to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification to roll back climate policies and calls for public stimulus funds to be used for a healthy, ecological recovery rather than bailing out fossil fuel corporations.
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Document type: Statement
How Many Hours-of-Safety Do Our Homes Have in Extreme Weather?
This briefing introduces the concept of "hours-of-safety" to measure how long a home can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature during power outages caused by extreme weather. It argues that improving building envelopes through insulation and air leakage reduction can increase passive survivability and save lives, particularly for vulnerable populations.
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Document type: Briefing
Green Bond Fact Sheet
A fact sheet detailing the issuance of a CAD 35 million green bond by Concordia University on February 8, 2019, to finance the construction of a new Science Hub on its Loyola Campus.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Leadership on Food Policies is Urgent
A letter dated December 6, 2018, from Food Secure Canada and numerous co-signatories to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging leadership to implement a just, healthy, and sustainable national food policy and to finalize the Healthy Eating Strategy.
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Document type: Statement
Tracking Progress on SDG 8
This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) tracks progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8)—focused on inclusive economic growth and decent work—within Canadian cities. Using five indicators derived from Statistics Canada data, the document analyzes trends in GDP per capita, GDP per employed person, median income, unemployment rates, and youth unemployment from the 1990s through 2016.
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Document type: Briefing
Carbon-Free City Handbook: Transportation and Mobility
The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Transportation and Mobility is a guide by RMI that outlines twelve strategic actions for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, which accounts for 36 percent of emissions in large cities. The guide provides descriptions of these actions—ranging from fleet electrification and combustion vehicle reduction to the implementation of car-free zones and expanded public transit—and supports them with a curated list of action documents, recommended resources, and citations from various global cities.
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Document type: Guide
Tracking the SDGs in Canadian Cities: SDG 3
This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) in Canadian cities. It evaluates health and well-being indicators—including neonatal mortality, chronic disease, substance abuse, and health worker density—using data from Statistics Canada and other national sources to compare trends across various Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs).
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Document type: Briefing
The Carbon-Free City Handbook
The Carbon-Free City Handbook, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in November 2017, provides a guide for city governments to implement 22 "no-regrets" actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The handbook focuses on five key sectors: buildings, transportation and mobility, electricity, industry, and biological resources, offering a framework for cities to transition toward 100% renewable energy and carbon-free operations through immediate, actionable, and economically viable policies.
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Document type: Guide
Analysis of missing links in Montréal’s cycling network
This report analyzes the Montréal cycling network to identify missing links and high-risk areas. It evaluates network discontinuities, collision frequencies and rates, and proposes 24 strategic north-south and east-west connections to improve safety and connectivity across the island.
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Document type: Report
N O T I F I C A T I O N
A notification from the Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) informing the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and CoP members of the IAI's planned participation in five international meetings between October and December 2017.
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Document type: Briefing
N O T I F I C A C I Ó N
A briefing from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) notifying member countries and advisory committees of the Executive Directorate's planned participation in five international events between October and December 2017 to strengthen the science-policy interface and visibility.
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Document type: Briefing
Tracking the SDGs in Canadian Cities: SDG 1
This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 1 (ending poverty) across 13 Canadian cities. Using four specific indicators derived from UN recommendations and available data, the report finds that while child poverty is declining and social assistance coverage is broad, overall poverty rates have been volatile and are slowly increasing in most tracked cities, deviating from the 2030 target.
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Document type: Briefing
Cities – The engines for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) discusses the critical role of cities in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and details an IISD initiative to track SDG indicators across 13 major Canadian cities using official statistics.
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Document type: Briefing