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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.

The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Electricity is a guide by RMI that outlines strategies for cities to transition to carbon-free renewable energy. It emphasizes a two-step process: committing to 100 percent renewable energy targets and implementing comprehensive action plans. The document details four specific actions: upgrading to smart LED streetlighting, creating electric districts by removing fossil-fuel infrastructure, installing municipal solar PV, and securing renewable energy supplies through mechanisms like power purchase agreements.

The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Biological Resources is a guide by RMI that outlines three primary actions for cities to manage biological resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: organic waste diversion, urban forestry, and the promotion of plant-based diets.

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.

The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Buildings provides a set of five strategic actions for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of all GHG emissions in large cities.

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).

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.

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.

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.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) calls for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in British Columbia, citing significant gaps in health research and the risk to greenhouse gas emission targets.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines strategies for increasing the climate resilience of the urban built environment, with a specific focus on the Canadian Prairies. It discusses the risks posed by climate variability, the impact of the urban heat island effect, and the application of design protocols and urban planning paradigms to mitigate these risks.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines strategies for building climate-resilient urban transportation infrastructure, with a particular focus on Alberta's cities. It emphasizes the need for robustness, redundancy, and resourcefulness to mitigate the risks posed by rising temperatures and extreme weather events.

This background paper, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in August 2014, provides a framework for consultations regarding Manitoba's transportation and infrastructure sectors as part of the 'TomorrowNow—Manitoba’s Green Plan'. It outlines the province's current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile, the vulnerabilities of its infrastructure to climate change, and examples of climate policies from other jurisdictions to inform a new provincial climate change and green economy action plan.

The 'Toolkit on Internet Public Policy Dialogue' is a guide published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in September 2012. It provides policy practitioners with a structured, multistakeholder approach to gathering evidence and securing public consent for Internet and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies. The toolkit emphasizes 'adaptive policy making' to respond to the rapidly evolving technological landscape and provides eight specific tools—ranging from expert roundtables and policy mapping to online surveys and public forums—to facilitate inclusive dialogue across government, private sector, civil society, and academia.

This report, prepared by the Stockholm Environment Institute and partners for the City of Seattle, develops a 'Carbon Neutral' scenario to demonstrate a pathway for the city to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The analysis focuses on 'core' emissions—buildings, transportation, and waste—where the city has the most direct policy influence. The scenario suggests that aggressive implementation of efficiency and fuel-switching strategies could reduce per capita GHG emissions by 90% by 2050 relative to 2008 levels.

This research paper explores the application of global equity and "burden-sharing" principles to community-scale climate action planning. Using the City of Seattle as a case study, the authors apply the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework to demonstrate that an equitable global mitigation obligation for a wealthy city would require it to go carbon "negative" by 2020, meaning it must reduce its own emissions while financing low-carbon transitions in developing regions.

This report details a March 2009 pilot workshop in Vancouver, British Columbia, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and supported by Industry Canada. The session engaged 32 diverse Canadian stakeholders to explore the future of the Internet and its implications for sustainability, social cohesion, and governance. The workshop used four scenarios—Government-regulated, Unregulated market, VIPnet, and Internet commons—to identify critical uncertainties and formulate policy recommendations for the Canadian government.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an interpretive analysis of three major international scientific assessments—the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, the IAASTD, and GEO-4—to determine their implications for the policy goals of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The analysis focuses on 11 key themes, including climate change, biotechnology, and energy production, evaluating how these global trends affect Canada's agricultural competitiveness, social priorities, and risk management.

This report, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), provides a literature review and conceptual foundation for developing sustainability indicators for the urban First Nations community in Winnipeg. It examines the historical context of First Nations in Canada, the challenges of data collection, and the application of culturally relevant frameworks, such as the medicine wheel, to measure well-being and guide policy action.

The Port Innovation Workshop Final Report details a two-day event convened by the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, in collaboration with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Rocky Mountain Institute, to identify strategies for improving the sustainability and energy efficiency of cargo container operations. The workshop produced 44 ideas categorized as Port Leadership, Partnership, or Blue Sky opportunities, focusing on electrification, logistics optimization, and radical redesigns of port infrastructure to reduce emissions and operational waste.