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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and CUTS International provides a stocktaking update on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Initiative on Investment Facilitation. It details the transition from structured discussions to formal negotiations, the impact of COVID-19 on foreign direct investment (FDI) and governance processes, and the roadmap leading toward the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12).

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and CUTS International tracks the progress of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative on Investment Facilitation from 2020 to early 2021. It details the transition from structured discussions to formal negotiations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on investment flows and governance, and the roadmap leading toward the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12).

This report evaluates the building infrastructure of the Paterson Park Precinct in Johannesburg, South Africa, using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool and Copernicus climate data. It compares business-as-usual (BAU) building designs with green, climate-resilient designs over a 40-year life cycle. The analysis finds that green buildings significantly reduce total net costs through lower energy and maintenance expenditures and reduced GHG emissions. While climate change generally increases energy costs and GHG externalities, the RCP 8.5 scenario specifically reduces irrigation costs due to higher predicted precipitation. Additionally, the report concludes that solar panel investments are highly profitable in the South African context, particularly when accounting for electricity price inflation.

This report presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment of three stormwater infrastructure options in the Paterson Park Precinct of Johannesburg, South Africa: a grey concrete culvert, a nature-based stream renaturalization, and a hybrid solution. Using data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the study compares these options through an integrated cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and climate change scenario analysis over 20- and 40-year horizons. The findings demonstrate that nature-based infrastructure is the most cost-efficient and climate-resilient choice, providing significant co-benefits in flood mitigation and water supply.

This policy brief examines the governance challenges associated with the sustainable use of natural resources, highlighting the gap between the principles established in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and current global trends of over-exploitation and inequitable distribution.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has produced a compilation of World Trade Organization (WTO) member notifications specifically regarding subsidies for marine wild capture fisheries to increase transparency and support the negotiation of new WTO rules.

This policy brief examines the transformative potential of solar photovoltaics, battery technology, and big data in agriculture and food systems to address hunger, food security, natural resource management, and climate change.

A joint submission by the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) to UNCITRAL Working Group III (WGIII) regarding the draft work and resourcing plan for Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) reform.

This briefing analyzes the potential impacts of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework's global digital tax reforms on resource-rich countries, specifically within the mining sector. While framed as a digital tax, the two-pillar approach has broad implications for how mining multinationals are taxed and how revenue is allocated between producer countries and market jurisdictions.

This briefing note examines the potential impacts of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework's two-pillar digital tax reform on the mining sector and resource-rich countries. While labeled as digital tax reform, the initiative has broad implications for the taxation of non-renewable resources and the ability of developing nations to collect revenues from multinational mining enterprises.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive set of 25 policy recommendations for governments to promote gender equality and protect women's rights within the mining sector. It emphasizes the need to move beyond voluntary corporate social responsibility toward legislative frameworks that integrate human rights standards, gender-disaggregated data collection, and targeted investments in women's safety and economic empowerment.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive set of 25 policy recommendations for governments to integrate gender perspectives into mining governance. It argues that mining activities transform societies in ways that disproportionately affect men and women, often leaving women with minimal benefits and higher exposure to environmental and social risks. The document outlines strategies across legislation, institutional capacity, land acquisition, impact assessments, community development, safety, and crisis management to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the mining sector.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development provides policy recommendations for governments to promote gender equality and women's empowerment within the mining sector. It outlines a comprehensive framework covering legislation, institutional strengthening, land acquisition, impact assessments, community development, and security to mitigate the disproportionate negative impacts of mining on women and ensure they share in the sector's benefits.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that gender equality is a prerequisite for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights how systemic barriers, discriminatory laws, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women hinder environmental and social progress, while demonstrating that women's leadership in natural resource governance and climate action leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

This policy brief argues that the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the critical link between human health and environmental degradation, advocating for a 'planetary health' approach to green recovery. It calls for the integration of health and environmental policies, financing, and data metrics to prevent future zoonotic outbreaks and address systemic inequalities.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the intersection of Canada's national hydrogen strategy and its commitments to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. It argues for a high threshold for justifying blue hydrogen subsidies to ensure alignment with net-zero goals by 2050.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) issued a statement welcoming the appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on February 15, 2021.

This policy briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines energy policy developments in Indonesia as of February 2021, focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on macroeconomic indicators, fuel subsidies, the coal sector, and renewable energy progress.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and GIZ examines the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction in Germany. It focuses on the mechanisms and enabling factors required to achieve policy coherence across different levels of governance to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change and disasters.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution of global development goals, from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). It analyzes the lessons learned from the MDGs, the expanded scope of the SDGs, and how the 2030 Agenda can serve as a framework for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.