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3,753 documents from International Institute for Sustainable Development
Gender and Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform
This report examines the intersection of gender and LPG subsidy reform in Indonesia, finding that current subsidies are regressive and fail to reach many poor women. It highlights that women are more vulnerable to price increases due to their primary role in cooking and household management, and that switching back to biomass fuels poses significant health risks through indoor air pollution.
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Document type: Report
Is “Moonlighting” a Problem?
The report examines the 'moonlighting' of ICJ judges in ISDS arbitrations, noting that 20 judges have served in at least 90 such cases. It highlights the significant financial incentives for judges to act as arbitrators compared to their fixed ICJ salaries and argues that this practice may undermine the ICJ's reputation for impartiality and independence.
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Document type: Report
India’s Energy Transition: Mapping subsidies to fossil fuels and clean energy in India
The report provides the first comprehensive inventory of central government energy subsidies in India, covering coal, oil and gas, renewable energy, and electricity transmission and distribution (T&D). It finds that while total quantified subsidies declined from USD 35.8 billion in FY2014 to USD 20.4 billion in FY2016, support for fossil fuels remained more significant than for renewables. The study highlights a shift in the primary recipient of subsidies toward electricity T&D and notes that many consumer subsidies fail to reach the poorest populations, instead benefiting those above the poverty line.
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Document type: Executive summary
Tracking the SDGs in Canadian Cities: SDG 3
The document tracks health and well-being indicators for Canadian cities against UN SDG 3 targets. It finds significant progress in neonatal mortality, chronic disease mortality, smoking rates, and health worker density. However, it notes rising trends in heavy drinking and HIV mortality in specific cities like Regina and Saskatoon, and an overall national increase in suicide and self-inflicted injury mortality, despite declines in several major cities.
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Document type: Briefing
The Adaptive Watershed: Training program for inclusive, ecosystem-based watershed management
The Adaptive Watershed (TAW) initiative by IISD integrates ecosystem management and adaptive management into watershed planning to address climate change and the needs of vulnerable communities and women. The document proposes a three-day training program consisting of 14 modules across three themes: understanding the watershed and its people, making informed decisions for adaptive planning, and inclusive management through action and evaluation.
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Document type: Report
Investment for Sustainable Development: Views from the Global South
The document describes the development of the South–South Principles on International Investment for Sustainable Development, a consolidated view from approximately 50 developing countries aimed at maximizing the contribution of quality investment toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Document type: Briefing
Towards an Indicative List of FDI Sustainability Characteristics
The paper identifies ten core and twenty emerging characteristics of sustainable FDI, derived from a review of 150 instruments including international investment agreements and codes of multinational enterprises. It also examines mechanisms to implement these characteristics and their relevance to investment facilitation discussions.
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Document type: Research paper
Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba: Recommendations for Manitoba's Watershed-Based Policy Framework
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) supports Manitoba's proposed watershed-based policy framework, which includes the GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) program, the Watershed-Based Drainage and Water Resource Management initiative, and the Modernization of Manitoba's Conservation Districts Program. To maximize the effectiveness of these initiatives, IISD recommends that the province target specific geographic regions for the most cost-effective impact, aim for net gains in ecological goods and services, and implement a robust evaluation framework that incorporates diverse monitoring methods and value-for-money analysis.
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Document type: Report
Conflict-Sensitive Conservation in the Maiko-Tayna-Kahuzi-Biega Landscape
The report details a conflict analysis conducted in the Maiko-Tayna-Kahuzi-Biega (MTKB) landscape of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It identifies specific conflicts in Maiko National Park, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, and the Itombwe Nature Reserve, analyzing their root causes and effects to propose targeted interventions. The document emphasizes the use of conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) tools—such as conflict trees and stakeholder mapping—to balance biodiversity protection with the needs of local populations and the realities of regional instability.
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Document type: Report
India Energy Subsidy
The Indian government is implementing a series of reforms to reduce its petroleum subsidy bill, including daily price revisions for petrol and diesel and the gradual elimination of LPG and kerosene subsidies by March 2018. Simultaneously, the government is expanding electricity access through the Saubhagya scheme and restructuring distribution company debt via UDAY. There is also a proposal to integrate petroleum products into the unified Goods and Services Tax (GST) mechanism to simplify the current dual-taxation system.
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Document type: Briefing
Towards Sustainable Development in Manitoba
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) recommends that Manitoba's watershed-based policy framework—comprising the GROW program, water resource management, and the Conservation District Program—adopt a robust, evidence-based evaluation framework focused on cumulative impacts. Key recommendations include targeting ecological goods and services (EGS) to specific high-impact regions, ensuring a net gain in water retention to combat climate-induced floods and droughts, and strengthening the authority and resources of local watershed authorities. The briefing emphasizes the need for open data, the integration of Indigenous and local knowledge, and the use of offsets to maintain wetland protection and water quality, particularly in the Red River Basin and Lake Winnipeg.
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Document type: Briefing
Tracking the SDGs in Canadian Cities: SDG 1
The document tracks SDG 1 progress in Canadian cities, finding that while child poverty is declining and social assistance coverage is increasing, overall poverty rates have risen in most cities, deviating from 2030 targets. It highlights significant regional disparities in poverty rates and municipal budget allocations for social services.
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Document type: Briefing
What is the true cost of coal in Central Java?
The document examines the 'true cost' of coal-fired power in Central Java, Indonesia, contrasting the financial and social costs of planned coal expansion against the potential of renewable energy. It argues that current capacity plans may lead to unnecessary overcapacity and that the inclusion of health and climate externalities makes renewables a cheaper alternative.
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Document type: Case study
Investment for Sustainable Development: Views from the Global South
The report outlines a framework of principles for international investment from a developing country perspective, emphasizing the need for investment to align with national development strategies, the balance of rights between states and investors, and the importance of domestic judicial remedies in dispute resolution.
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Document type: Report
Manitoba Prairie Lakes: Mass balance budget for nutrient management at Pelican Lake, Manitoba
The study establishes a nutrient mass balance for Pelican Lake, Manitoba, finding that the lake acts as a net sink for phosphorus and a net source of nitrogen. External nutrient loads are strongly linked to surface hydrology and agricultural land use, with internal recycling from sediments contributing significantly to phosphorus levels. The findings suggest that remediation should focus on high-agricultural sub-catchments and the regulation of the Pembina River inlet dam.
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Document type: Report
The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6
The document discusses the emergence of 36 agricultural growth poles and 9 corridors across 23 African countries, covering 3.5 million hectares. It argues that while these initiatives aim to attract private investment and drive economic transformation, they require strong regulatory frameworks to avoid exacerbating inequalities or depleting natural resources.
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Document type: Policy brief
Assessing the Impacts of Investment Treaties: Overview of the evidence
The report examines the impacts of investment treaties on developing countries, noting a modest increase in some types of foreign direct investment (FDI) but finding no clear evidence for other benefits like domestic reform or the rule of law. It highlights that treaties limit government policy space and create distributive costs through compensation requirements, though insufficient evidence exists to determine the overall net effect for developing countries.
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Document type: Report
Renegotiating NAFTA: Pros and cons for Canada and Mexico
The research simulates the economic effects of a 20 per cent tariff hike and a border carbon tax across North American industries. It finds that while the U.S. would face the largest absolute GDP and welfare losses, Canada would experience the highest relative decline in employment. Crucially, the study concludes that trade barriers are ineffective for reducing carbon-intensive energy output or greenhouse gas emissions and may actually reduce renewable energy use in favor of liquefied natural gas.
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Document type: Research paper
Financing High Performance Climate Adaptation in Agriculture: Climate Bonds for Multi-Functional Water Harvesting Infrastructure on the Canadian Prairies
The document identifies distributed water harvesting (DWH) as a means to build agricultural resilience in the Canadian Prairies against temperature increases and precipitation changes. It notes that because individual DWH projects often require less than CAD $1 million, they are ineligible for certain traditional Canadian infrastructure financing. Consequently, the text proposes the use of green and climate bonds, highlighting the associated ecosystem service co-benefits.
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Document type: Briefing
Practice Guide to Auditing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Gender equality
The document introduces a practice guide developed by the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation, in collaboration with IISD and Women Deliver, to assist auditors in conducting performance audits related to gender equality and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Document type: Guide