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This report, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in August 2017, evaluates the legal and policy framework of the mining sector in Mauritania. Using the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Mining Policy Framework, the assessment analyzes six thematic pillars: legal and policy environment, financial returns, socio-economic returns, environmental management, post-mining transition, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The report identifies strengths in the country's geological information systems and fiscal attractiveness, but highlights significant gaps in legislative consolidation, environmental monitoring capacity, and the formalization of the emerging ASM sector.

This report provides an assessment of Rwanda's mining laws and policies against the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Mining Policy Framework (MPF). Conducted between December 2016 and February 2017, the evaluation identifies strengths in Rwanda's regulatory framework and government willingness to improve the sector, while highlighting significant gaps in environmental monitoring, socioeconomic impact assessments, and mine closure planning. The report concludes that while Rwanda has robust laws, it lacks the technical and human capacity to fully implement and enforce them.

This case study describes the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem, an initiative by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) designed to foster collaboration and innovation among diverse actors in Geneva to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This report analyzes the vulnerability of Pakistan's water sector to climate change, finding that while total water volume in the Indus River Basin may remain stable until the 2050s, variability in flow timing and increasing per capita water demand will exacerbate scarcity. It identifies a critical lack of hydrological data for the Upper Indus Basin and recommends modernizing monitoring networks, improving agricultural irrigation, and elevating water scarcity as a primary non-traditional security threat in national policy.

A speech delivered by IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan at the World Circular Economy Forum 2017 in Helsinki, discussing the need for macroeconomic indicators beyond GDP to properly value the circular economy, the potential for job growth, and the necessity of reforming fiscal incentives.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the indicators used by nine countries in their voluntary reviews to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) to track progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This executive summary from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines the significant financial burdens pollution places on Canadian families, businesses, and governments, synthesizing existing studies to provide a comprehensive assessment of these costs.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) discusses the critical role of cities in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and details an IISD initiative to track SDG indicators across 13 major Canadian cities using official statistics.

This executive summary, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in June 2017, synthesizes existing studies to estimate the economic and health costs of pollution in Canada. It highlights that while some pollutants like urban smog are well-documented, significant data gaps exist for others, such as persistent organic pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, meaning the total annual costs likely reach tens of billions of dollars.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the environmental record of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its side agreement, the North American Agreement for Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). It examines the role of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in generating environmental data and managing shared ecosystems, while critiquing the effectiveness of the citizen submission process. The document concludes by proposing seven options for the environmental framework of a renegotiated NAFTA, ranging from maintaining the status quo to integrating provisions from the TPP or CETA.

This G20 Insights policy brief, contributed to by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and environmental NGOs, argues that current global governance for displaced populations is inadequate for the scale of climate-induced migration and calls for G20 leadership in reforming humanitarian responses.

This technical appendix details the econometric analysis supporting a policy brief on the relationship between hunger and migration. Using data from 1990 to 2015, the authors examine how international migration stocks are affected by demographic, political, and economic variables, concluding that while population and political stability are robust drivers, the links to poverty and undernourishment are complex and often insignificant in broad samples.

This report analyzes the decline of coal mining in South Wales, United Kingdom, from its growth during the industrial revolution to its disappearance in the 1990s, to provide lessons for other regions transitioning away from coal.

This report by the Global Subsidies Initiative of IISD and Gaia Consulting, written for the Nordic Council Ministers, estimates global fossil fuel subsidies at USD 425 billion and proposes a "SWAP" concept to redirect these funds toward sustainable energy, energy efficiency, and safety nets.

This document is a statement delivered by Scott Vaughan, President and CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), to the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade on May 1, 2018. Vaughan provides perspectives on a potential free trade agreement between Canada and MERCOSUR, advocating for the inclusion of progressive trade policies, sustainability standards, and a shift in investment protection models.

This 2017 executive summary by IISD argues that coal-fired power in Indonesia is more expensive than renewable energy when accounting for subsidies and external environmental and health costs. While coal received significantly higher total subsidies (US$644 million in 2015) compared to renewables (US$132.8 million in 2015), the 'true cost' of coal is higher due to air pollution and CO2 emissions. The report highlights a trend of increasing coal reliance in Indonesia's energy mix and calls for a policy shift toward renewables.

This policy brief examines the kerosene subsidy system in India, highlighting its financial costs, systemic inefficiencies, and the barriers it creates for the adoption of off-grid solar lighting. The authors argue that reforming these subsidies is essential to transition rural households toward cleaner energy alternatives.

This report assesses Suriname's readiness to implement the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Mining Policy Framework (MPF). Conducted between August and November 2016, the assessment identifies a legislative environment that is largely out of date, relying on a 1986 Mining Decree, and notes a critical lack of a national environmental authority. While the report highlights strengths in environmental assessment guidelines and the management of small-scale mining tensions, it emphasizes significant gaps in financial transparency, indigenous rights legislation, and mine closure requirements.

This policy brief describes Sudan's approach to climate change adaptation, highlighting its early submission of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to the UNFCCC and its specific focus on 'vertical integration' by empowering state governments to lead subnational adaptation actions.

In a speech delivered at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region in Geneva, IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan argues that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are fragile due to political backlashes and requires a shift toward holistic measurements of well-being that move beyond GDP.