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This case study describes a design thinking workshop for primary school learners in Cape Town, conducted by the University of Cape Town’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design Thinking (d-school) in partnership with GreenCape and the City of Cape Town (CoCT). The initiative aimed to build resilience by equipping youth with human-centred problem-solving skills to address real-world challenges, specifically focusing on water conservation during a drought crisis.

This case study by GreenCape examines the role of sustainable urban agriculture (UA) in building socio-economic resilience in the City of Cape Town, focusing on the transition of Nazeer Sonday's Vegkop Polyculture Farm from intensive hydroponic tomato production to a regenerative, diversified farming model.

This case study describes an industrial symbiosis project facilitated by the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) between Pallet Cycle, a recycled timber manufacturer, and Cabrico, a clay brick manufacturer. The partnership diverted wood waste from landfills to be used as a sustainable fuel and raw material in brick production.

This case study examines how the City of Cape Town, in partnership with GreenCape’s Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), uses industrial symbiosis to improve wood recycling and build economic resilience. The initiative focuses on diverting wood waste from landfills and reducing reliance on virgin materials and imported coal by integrating waste streams back into the manufacturing economy.

This briefing by Neil Coleman of the Institute for Economic Justice analyzes the geopolitical disparities in social protection between the Global North and Global South. It argues that while the Global North faces a decline in its social democratic contract, the Global South struggles with fragmented, low-value assistance and high exclusion rates. The author contends that a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is currently unaffordable under the existing economic paradigm and requires radical global redistributive reforms, such as a global minimum tax and debt relief, to become feasible.

This report by the Institute for Economic Justice, based on a survey of 920 economics students and graduates across 85 countries, argues that mainstream economics education is failing to prepare students for contemporary crises. It calls for a shift toward a pluralist, interdisciplinary, and critical curriculum that moves beyond the dominance of neoclassical economics to better address the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic bias, and the climate emergency.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice analyzes the impact of President Donald Trump's second administration's tariff policies on African nations and proposes a strategic response based on rerouting trade, subverting US policy through industrialization, and collective negotiation.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines critical development issues facing the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). It focuses on the long-standing struggle to operationalize Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) for developing economies and the need for a smooth transition for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) upon their graduation from that status.

This briefing analyzes the historical and systemic link between poverty and environmental degradation, arguing that sustainable development requires integrating these two goals. It highlights how extreme wealth inequality drives resource overconsumption and how the world's poorest populations are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters, conflict, and zoonotic pandemics like COVID-19. The text advocates for shifting government metrics from GDP to national well-being indices and limiting the resource consumption of the wealthiest 10% to allow the poor to escape poverty within planetary boundaries.

This research paper by Rashmi Jose analyzes the proposed Investment Facilitation for Development (FID) Agreement and the challenges surrounding its incorporation into the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14).

This research paper analyzes the state of electronic commerce debates within the World Trade Organization (WTO) leading up to the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February 2024. It examines two parallel tracks: the multilateral Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and the plurilateral Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Electronic Commerce, focusing on the tension between developed and developing economies regarding digital trade rules and the moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions.

This research paper by Colette van der Ven argues that African nations must proactively integrate circular economy principles into their clothing and textile industries to achieve sustainable industrialization (SDG 9) and sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12). The author highlights opportunities in sustainable input production, green manufacturing, and the repurposing of second-hand clothing imports to drive economic transformation and maintain competitiveness, particularly in the European Union market.

This briefing by Thiru Balasubramaniam of Knowledge Ecology International examines the stalled negotiations within the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding a waiver of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to improve global access to COVID-19 health technologies ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12).

The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit is a collaborative, wiki-based online platform launched in 2008 to provide social and environmental entrepreneurs with resources, knowledge, and peer-to-peer advice to enhance business performance and sustainable development impacts.

This fact sheet describes the Trade Knowledge Network (TKN), a global collaboration of research institutions coordinated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) since 1998. The TKN aims to promote sustainable development by strengthening research capacity in developing countries and generating policy analysis on trade and investment.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the large-scale mining sector. It analyzes immediate impacts on direct and indirect labor, the role of national lockdown policies, and the long-term structural shifts toward automation and localized supply chains, while providing recommendations for building future resilience.

The GEO Resource Book is a training manual developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to build capacity for forward-looking, integrated environmental assessment (IEA) and reporting at sub-global levels. It provides a modular framework based on the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) approach to help practitioners produce policy-relevant information on the interactions between the natural environment and human society.

The Integrated Environmental Assessment (IEA) Training Manual is a comprehensive guide developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). It provides a modular framework for conducting forward-looking environmental assessments at subglobal levels, utilizing the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) approach to link environmental data with public policy and human well-being.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines agricultural cooperatives as a model for inclusive investment. It details the different types of cooperatives, their benefits for smallholder farmers, the role of foreign investment in these structures, and the necessary legal and governmental frameworks to support their success.

This report 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 investment treaties, which prioritize investor protection, often fail to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and instead create significant financial and legal burdens for host states, potentially hindering sustainable development and climate action.