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This report, submitted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, analyzes the failure of governments to align public financial flows with the Paris Agreement. It argues that public support for fossil fuels remains high and often increases, creating a financial barrier to clean energy deployment. The document provides evidence of subsidy trends, the impact of COVID-19 recovery packages, and offers a framework for fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) to accelerate the energy transition while ensuring social equity.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the global and regional policy and financial responses to the surge in foreign investment in agricultural land and water following the 2008 food crisis. It details various voluntary guidelines, principles, and financing mechanisms designed to ensure that large-scale investments are transparent, respect land rights, and contribute to food security and rural development.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines the global and regional normative and financial responses to the increase in foreign investment in agricultural land and water, often termed 'land grabbing', following the 2008 food crisis. It evaluates various guidelines, principles, and funding mechanisms designed to ensure that agricultural investments are transparent, respect land rights, and contribute to rural development and food security.

This report, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM), analyzes the sustainability of China's fish and fish products market supply chains. Using a Global Commodity Chain Sustainability Analysis (GCCSA) framework, the study examines three specific case studies: tilapia aquaculture, cod reprocessing, and the live reef food fish trade (LRFFT). The report evaluates these chains across ecological, economic, and social dimensions, highlighting China's pivotal role as a global producer, processor, and consumer. It identifies critical challenges including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, traceability gaps, and environmental degradation, while recommending the adoption of national traceability systems, sustainability certifications, and strategic policy integration with China's Five-Year Plans to ensure long-term sector viability.

This report, produced by the China Association of Aquatic Products Processing and Trade (CAPPMA) in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), analyzes the sustainability of China's fisheries and aquaculture supply chains. It focuses on three specific case studies—tilapia, cod, and live reef food fish—to identify environmental and social challenges and provide strategic policy guidance for integrating sustainability into China's national trade and economic policies.

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.

This document is an annex to a report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that evaluates the potential for Nature-based Infrastructure (NBI) to reduce the global infrastructure investment gap. It provides a literature review of infrastructure needs across sectors such as water, energy, and transport, and compares the costs and value generation of NBI against traditional 'grey' infrastructure using SAVi assessments.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of investment treaties and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in global governance. It argues that traditional treaties, designed to protect foreign investors and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), often conflict with sustainable development goals by creating 'regulatory chill' and imposing high financial costs on host states. The document advocates for an ambitious reform of investment law to prioritize public interest, environmental protection, and human rights over investor protections.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development describes the 'Development Box' (DB), a proposed mechanism within the World Trade Organization (WTO) to provide developing countries with enhanced special and differential treatment (S&D) measures in agriculture. The proposal seeks to address negative outcomes of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) by prioritizing food security and the livelihoods of poor farmers over strict trade liberalization.

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.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and CUTS International, Geneva, provides an update on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Working Group (IWG) on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) from June to December 2020. It details the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MSMEs, particularly those led by women, and outlines a package of six recommendations and declarations adopted by the IWG in December 2020 to improve MSME integration into the multilateral trading system.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the state of negotiations regarding Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) leading up to the 2009 COP 15 in Copenhagen. It examines the technical and political challenges surrounding the scope of REDD, financing mechanisms, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, and institutional governance, providing guidance for developing countries to navigate these negotiations.

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).

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the global tea market, focusing on the growth of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and the potential for expanding sustainable production in Low Human Development Countries (LHDCs). It examines production trends, trade flows, and the systemic challenges facing the tea industry, such as climate change and inequitable wealth distribution.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the outcomes of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn in June and August 2009. It outlines the progress and persistent divisions between developed and developing nations across four key pillars—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance—as they worked toward a global post-2012 agreement intended for adoption at COP-15 in Copenhagen.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive analysis of how states can terminate old-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs). It examines the legal frameworks under public international law, analyzes common termination and survival clause models, and reviews recent state practices. The document offers strategic recommendations for states on whether to terminate BITs unilaterally or by consent, how to handle survival clauses to reduce investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) risks, and provides drafting suggestions for new treaties to avoid the pitfalls of older models.

This briefing by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the status of implementation-related issues following the WTO Doha Ministerial Conference. It details the disputes over whether these issues are subject to negotiation or mere discussion, and reviews the failure of various WTO committees to meet deadlines or reach consensus on key trade areas including textiles, subsidies, anti-dumping, and intellectual property.

This document is a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, provided by a coalition including Natural Justice and Forest Peoples Programme. It outlines the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in biodiversity conservation, highlighting successful local practices, systemic barriers such as 'fortress conservation' and non-recognition of land rights, and the increasing risks faced by environmental defenders.

The report 'HOW NOT TO PARACHUTE MORE CATS' by Hunter and Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues that global resource crises—including energy, water, and climate change—can be solved by understanding interconnections and prioritizing resource efficiency over the expansion of supply. The authors advocate for a 'least-cost' approach, demonstrating that energy efficiency and renewable technologies are often cheaper and more effective than fossil fuels or nuclear power. They suggest that these technical solutions can simultaneously improve economic health, reduce nuclear proliferation, and enhance global security by reducing dependence on volatile resources like Mideast oil.

This report by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) argues that gender equality is a necessary catalyst for achieving universal energy access by 2030. It provides a business case for integrating gender-sensitive approaches into the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector, offering recommendations for companies, civil society organisations (CSOs), and investors, alongside 17 case studies demonstrating best practices in community empowerment, organisational diversity, and gender-lens investing.