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iisd-energy-brochure-2016-f168a6aa3d319ab4.pdf
This fact sheet describes the activities of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Energy Program, which provides guidance to authorities on transitioning to sustainable energy systems, reforming fossil fuel subsidies, and implementing international climate commitments.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Knowledge to Act
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.
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Document type: Guide
Water
This fact sheet describes the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) approach to freshwater management, which integrates scientific research from the IISD Experimental Lakes Area with policy solutions for watershed management, bioeconomies, and international basin cooperation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
iisd_canada_brochure_2014_online-d36dd1e78fbb972c.pdf
This brochure describes the activities and strategic priorities of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), focusing on its role as a research and innovation centre that integrates environmental and social priorities with economic development, particularly within the Canadian context.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Inclusive Investment in Agriculture: Cooperatives and the role of foreign investment.
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.
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Document type: Policy brief
investment-in-nature-close-infrastructure-gap-annex-6b1f8f18c98a0739.pdf
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.
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Document type: Report
INVESTMENT, DOHA AND THE WTO
This briefing paper analyzes the prospects and challenges of negotiating a multilateral investment agreement within the World Trade Organization (WTO) following the Doha Ministerial Statement. It critiques existing international investment agreements (IIAs), specifically NAFTA's Chapter 11 and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), for prioritizing investor rights over public welfare and sustainable development. The author argues that the WTO may lack the institutional capacity to deliver a balanced agreement and proposes a new framework that incorporates obligations for investors and home states alongside the rights of host states to regulate in the public interest.
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Document type: Briefing
Towards A Southern Agenda on International Investment: Discussion Paper on the Role of International Investment Agreements
This 2004 research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the relationship between international investment agreements (IIAs) and sustainable development. It argues that the traditional model of IIAs, which focuses heavily on investor protections, has failed to empirically prove its ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and often conflicts with the regulatory needs and development priorities of host states. The paper advocates for a 'Southern Agenda' that balances private investor rights with public goods, transparency, and the specific needs of developing countries.
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Document type: Research paper
The Development Box
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.
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Document type: Briefing
Life Cycle Costing in Sustainable Public Procurement: A Question of Value
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.
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Document type: Report
meeting-canada-subsidy-phase-out-goal-quebec-fr-d820f32a9a18a320.pdf
This November 2016 briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of Quebec in helping Canada meet its G7 commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The document focuses specifically on consumption subsidies in Quebec, which it argues act as a 'negative price on carbon' and undermine the province's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.
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Document type: Briefing
Youth Networking, Education and Communications Channels Across the Circumpolar Region
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores the communication channels, education opportunities, and networking patterns of youth across the circumpolar region. Based on a limited sample of 19 interviews and media scans, the study identifies a lack of youth-specific mainstream media, significant barriers to formal education in Northern Canada, and a reliance on personal, face-to-face interaction for effective engagement. The report highlights the role of the OOKPIK website in hosting directories of youth networks and media to improve connectivity among young Northerners.
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Document type: Report
Offsetting CO2 Emissions Tree Planting on the Prairies
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates the feasibility of tree planting in the Canadian prairie ecozone as a method to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It reviews international policies from the European Union, the United States, and Canada, while analyzing the environmental, economic, and social benefits of afforestation alongside the direct and opportunity costs involved.
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Document type: Report
pcc-brief-climate-resilient-city-electricity-ict-edeb600b8a7cb7b8.pdf
This briefing by the Prairie Climate Centre examines strategies to enhance the climate resilience of urban electricity and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, with a particular focus on Alberta, Canada. It advocates for the adoption of robustness, redundancy, and resourcefulness to mitigate risks from extreme weather and long-term climate trends.
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Document type: Briefing
Comercio de servicios ambientales y desarrollo sostenible en Centroamérica: Los casos de Costa Rica y El Salvador
This 1999 report analyzes the emergence of markets for global environmental services in Central America, focusing on the contrasting experiences of Costa Rica and El Salvador. It examines how these countries leverage international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol and biodiversity conventions, to mobilize financial resources for conservation and sustainable development through mechanisms like carbon credits and biodiversity-friendly coffee certification.
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Document type: Report
GSI_RelativeEnergySubsidiesJuly2010
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).
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Document type: Report
LIMBUA Group Limited: A Kenyan processing and marketing enterprise in the fruit and nut sector
This case study examines LIMBUA Group Limited, a Kenyan small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) specializing in the processing and marketing of organic macadamia, avocado, and mangoes. The document assesses the company's compliance with the Committee on World Food Security’s Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) using a specialized RAI Tool. The analysis finds that LIMBUA generally demonstrates a high level of responsible agricultural investment through its sustainable business model, inclusive employment practices, and support for smallholder farmers in central Kenya.
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Document type: Case study
rtea_namibia-63504c893e171fde.pdf
This policy brief describes the results of a Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) conducted in Namibia from January to June 2009. The assessment aimed to identify 'green' opportunities and threats within international trade law and technical standards to support Namibia's Vision 2030 and National Development Plan (NDP3). It emphasizes that Namibia should avoid the bulk export models of Western nations or South Africa, instead focusing on high-value niche sectors based on its comparative advantages in biodiversity, landscapes, and rangelands.
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Document type: Policy brief
Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Environmental impacts of trade liberalization
This 2007 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the environmental impacts of trade liberalization within Thailand's electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector. It highlights the tension between the sector's role in export-led growth and the resulting environmental challenges, specifically the rapid increase in e-waste and the risks associated with mid-stream production and informal recycling.
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Document type: Report
Science and precaution in the trading system
This seminar note, authored by Halina Ward of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, examines the tension between the precautionary principle—which advocates for protective action before full scientific proof of risk—and the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It explores differing regional interpretations of risk assessment, the legal status of precaution in international law, and the specific WTO agreements (GATT, TBT, and SPS) that intersect with environmental and health regulations.
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Document type: Briefing