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This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development discusses the importance of aligning national financing strategies for climate change adaptation with other financial plans, such as those for biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure coordinated resource mobilization and implementation.

This IISD policy brief examines design elements of border carbon adjustments (BCAs) that should be the focus of international cooperation to reduce political tension and administrative burdens for traders, particularly in developing countries.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the design choices and trade-offs associated with Border Carbon Adjustments (BCAs). It describes BCAs as measures intended to prevent 'carbon leakage' by ensuring imported goods face carbon costs equivalent to domestic production, thereby supporting the integrity of domestic carbon pricing. The document outlines key decision points for policy-makers, including the scope of trade flows, geographic exemptions, emission categories (Scopes 1, 2, and 3), calculation methods for embedded emissions, and the allocation of generated revenues.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates Canada's new framework for identifying fossil fuel subsidies, praising its alignment with World Trade Organization definitions and its transparency regarding 'inefficiency,' while warning that exemptions for 'abated' production and carbon capture and storage could undermine climate targets.

This executive summary by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the evolution and current state of national investment laws. It argues that these laws are versatile policy instruments that have shifted from supporting national development goals in the 1950s-70s to aligning with international investment treaties between 1980 and 2010. The document provides a framework for policymakers to redesign these laws to better serve sustainable development and avoid the legal risks associated with treaty-style protections.

This executive summary describes a report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that analyzes the evolution and current functions of national investment laws. It provides a framework for policymakers to reform these laws, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all model and that laws should be designed based on specific national objectives and desired functions, such as promoting sustainable development.

This report presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment of a proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Bandung, Indonesia. The analysis compares a baseline scenario with a 'current BRT' scenario and a 'high-ambition BRT' scenario over a 28-year period (2022–2050). The assessment demonstrates that while the project may not be economically viable under conventional benefit-cost ratios (BCR) that only consider tangible financial returns, it is highly profitable from a societal perspective when integrating environmental, social, and economic externalities.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that the Canadian oil and gas sector is ill-prepared for an inevitable decline in global demand. It suggests that the federal government must take a proactive role in managing this phase-down to protect workers and communities and diversify the economy, rather than continuing with business-as-usual production expansion.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the potential benefits and costs of implementing automated, high-frequency, and networked water quality monitoring systems, specifically within the context of the Winnipeg River basin.

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 joint submission by IISD, CIEL, and ClientEarth to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment argues that Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms act as a major obstacle to climate and environmental action. The document details how ISDS is used by investors to challenge environmental regulations, creates a 'regulatory chill' that disincentivizes states from enacting green policies, and often ignores human rights and environmental obligations in favor of investment protections.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the draft Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, acknowledging it as a positive step for the just transition while calling for specific amendments to strengthen accountability and support for workers and Indigenous Peoples.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) issued a statement regarding the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, highlighting the resulting humanitarian and environmental crises and the broader impacts of Russia's invasion on sustainable development.

This report examines how countries can use the outputs and results of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process to develop Adaptation Communications (AdComs) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), aiming to increase the visibility of adaptation efforts without increasing reporting burdens.

This report uses the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to compare nature-based, hybrid, and grey infrastructure for flood risk management in Thessaly, Greece. It finds that nature-based infrastructure (NBI) offers the highest benefit-to-cost ratio (2.9) over 25 years, with carbon storage value alone (EUR 12.8 million) exceeding the costs of NBI and hybrid options.

This report outlines the necessity of establishing a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) by COP 28 to enhance adaptation actions and meet the needs of developing countries.

This guidebook provides recommendations for state policy-makers in India on the sustainable implementation of decentralized solar power plants for irrigation, specifically focusing on Components A and C (feeder-level solarization) of the PM-KUSUM scheme.

This background paper examines the current state of agrivoltaics in India, focusing on the simultaneous use of land for agriculture and photovoltaic power generation to resolve land-use competition. It synthesizes evidence from over a dozen pilot projects and interviews with stakeholders—including farmers, private developers, and power distribution companies—to provide policy recommendations, business models, and technical transition mechanisms for commercial scale-up.

This report presents a sustainable asset valuation (SAVi) assessment of mangrove restoration in the Mallorquín Swamp in Barranquilla, Colombia, comparing nature-based infrastructure (NBI) against grey infrastructure alternatives over a 20-year period.

This research paper argues that traditional cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) for transport infrastructure are typically gender-blind and fail to account for the different ways genders use and experience transportation. Using a case study of a Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) plan in Coimbatore, India, the author demonstrates how integrating gender-disaggregated data and qualitative systems mapping can reveal specific benefits—such as reducing women's time poverty and increasing access to education—that are otherwise overlooked in standard economic assessments.