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A July 2026 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) presents findings from a national poll of 2,219 Canadians regarding water infrastructure. The results indicate a high public demand for urgent government action on water infrastructure and strong support for the implementation of natural infrastructure to address deficits and improve resilience.

This briefing note details the first phase of a project to reduce single-use foodware in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Based on surveys of 26 food-service businesses and 50 customers conducted in the summer of 2025, the report identifies a high willingness among both groups to transition to reusables, despite barriers such as cost, convenience, and a lack of city-wide infrastructure.

This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines the economic and social imperatives for decarbonizing Canada's building sector. It emphasizes the need for deep energy retrofits (DERs), the adoption of higher building code standards, and innovative financing to reach net-zero targets while addressing housing affordability and public health.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines a strategy for decarbonizing Canada's building sector to reach net-zero emissions. It emphasizes the need for deep energy retrofits of the existing residential housing stock, the adoption of higher building code standards, and the implementation of innovative financing to address high upfront costs and energy poverty.

This executive summary describes a spatial targeting strategy developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to optimize the placement of water retention projects, such as wetlands and small naturalized dams, to reduce phosphorus loading in Canadian Prairie watersheds.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada continues to provide billions in public funds to the fossil fuel industry despite pledges to phase out subsidies. The document outlines five priority areas for reform—tax credits, the Trans Mountain Pipeline, carbon capture and storage, LNG infrastructure, and low-carbon funds—and calls for a comprehensive, transparent inventory of all financial supports to ensure Canada meets its international commitments as the 2025 G7 president.

This executive summary outlines the proceedings of the 2022 Forum on Natural Infrastructure Performance and Metrics hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The event focused on developing a stronger business case for water-related natural infrastructure (NI) across Canada's Prairies by addressing challenges in performance metrics, data collection, and economic visibility.

This fact sheet by the International Institute for Sustainable Development describes the economic impact and growth potential of the natural infrastructure sector in the Canadian Prairies, with a specific focus on Saskatchewan. It defines natural infrastructure as a method of planning and working with nature to meet needs such as wastewater treatment, flood protection, and drinking water supply.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) issued a statement mourning the death of James "Jim" Carr, a former IISD board member and vice-chair who served in that role from 2000 to 2008.

This report summarizes a virtual workshop hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on June 23, 2022, focused on the monitoring and modelling of water retention projects in the Canadian Prairies. The event brought together 20 participants from government, academia, and industry to share research on the effectiveness of small dams, retention ponds, and wetlands in managing water quantity and nutrient loads, specifically phosphorus. The workshop highlighted the technical challenges of monitoring in cold climates, the use of new technologies like UV-Vis spectrometers, and the need for better business cases to encourage the adoption of natural infrastructure by agricultural producers.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada can enhance its energy security by transitioning from volatile fossil fuel markets to a renewable-based electrified system. It asserts that wind and solar are now more cost-effective than gas or coal and that Canada's existing hydroelectric capacity provides the necessary flexibility to integrate variable renewable energy without compromising grid reliability.

This report summarizes a virtual workshop hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on June 23, 2022, which focused on monitoring and modelling for water retention projects in the Canadian Prairies. The event brought together 20 participants from government, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry to share research and identify collaboration opportunities to advance water retention science and business case development.

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.

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.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Clean Prosperity examines the design and implementation of a border carbon adjustment (BCA) for Canada. It analyzes how a BCA could prevent carbon leakage—where emissions-intensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industries relocate or are undercut by foreign competitors—while maintaining WTO compliance. The document explores various design scenarios, identifies the most vulnerable Canadian sectors, and evaluates the potential impact of similar regimes being developed in the United States and the European Union.

This fact sheet provides a series of maps characterizing the lower Winnipeg River basin (LWRB) and the Manitoba portion of the broader Winnipeg River basin (WRB). It details the basin's geography—with the WRB covering 136,840 km2 and the LWRB covering 4,650 km2—and includes spatial data on surficial geology, land cover, forest cover, zoning, Indigenous presence, 2016 population density, and drinking water advisories.

This fact sheet describes the geological, soil, and land cover characteristics of the lower Winnipeg River basin (LWRB), noting its dominance by forested land and Precambrian bedrock.

This fact sheet describes the hydrology of the lower Winnipeg River basin (LWRB), focusing on river discharge, water levels, and the role of hydroelectric generating stations. It provides historical discharge data, climate projections for the 2050s, and discusses the river's contribution to Lake Winnipeg's water volume and nutrient loading.

This fact sheet provides a historical overview of the lower Winnipeg River basin (LWRB), detailing its evolution from an Indigenous transportation route and fur trade corridor to a hub for hydroelectric power, mining, forestry, and tourism.

This research paper by Adrian Murray examines the contradictions between Canada's image as a progressive global leader and its actual response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The author argues that the pandemic exposed systemic inequalities, particularly regarding the treatment of seniors in long-term care, essential workers, and Indigenous populations, while criticizing the government's preference for virus mitigation over suppression and its role in global vaccine hoarding.