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This executive summary, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the China National Renewable Energy Center (CNREC), examines how Environmental Fiscal Reform (EFR) and earmarked tax revenues can fund the deployment of renewable energy technologies in China. Drawing on eight international case studies, the document argues that environmental taxes do not necessarily hinder economic growth and can provide a stable, transparent funding mechanism for green energy, offering a potential alternative or supplement to China's current reliance on electricity surcharges.

This executive summary examines Environmental Fiscal Reform (EFR) as a mechanism to fund renewable energy deployment in China. By analyzing eight international case studies, the report explores how environmental taxes and carbon trading can generate revenue for green energy while mitigating impacts on economic growth and competitiveness. It specifically discusses the role of earmarking revenues to increase transparency and investor confidence, while noting the political and economic challenges of implementing such measures within the Chinese context.

This policy brief examines how diesel price increases affect the Indian trucking industry, identifying structural vulnerabilities such as poor road quality, toll delays, and a lack of bargaining power for small operators. It proposes short-term relief through minimum freight rates and toll reductions, and long-term structural reforms including improved fuel efficiency and computerized exchange networks.

This report documents a policy dialogue session held on October 4, 2013, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to assist the Government of Manitoba in developing a green economy action plan as part of its 'TomorrowNow' climate change plan. The session, facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the University of Winnipeg, identified key sectors for transition, existing barriers, and necessary policy tools to enhance the province's competitiveness in a global market shifting away from resource-intensive products.

This document is an executive summary for a report prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Sustainable Development Strategies Group (SDSG). It describes a transparency template based on the International Bar Association Mining Law Committee's Model Mining Development Agreement (MMDA 1.0), which serves as a framework for negotiations between host country governments and mining companies.

This report evaluates the costs and benefits of the United Kingdom's biofuel industry and its associated support policies, focusing on employment, emissions abatement, and the role of biofuels in meeting EU renewable energy targets.

This report evaluates the costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies, focusing on industry support, employment, emission abatement, and the role of biofuels in meeting EU renewable energy targets.

This report examines the barriers preventing large institutional investors, such as pension and sovereign wealth funds, from scaling impact investments in low-income and developing countries. It proposes a framework called the National Impact Investment Readiness Assessment to help investors and policy-makers evaluate the investability of emerging markets.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines policy tools for transitioning to a green economy, focusing on financing mechanisms. It uses Costa Rica's Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a case study to illustrate how direct financial support, funded by taxes and international agreements, can reduce deforestation and create green jobs, while discussing the challenges of securing public funding in Manitoba.

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines fiscal policy instruments as tools to facilitate the transition to a green economy, providing case studies from Germany and Canada to illustrate how taxes, subsidies, and levies can incentivize sustainable practices.

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines institutional and policy processes (IPPs) that can facilitate a transition to a green economy, using case studies from Ontario and Manitoba to illustrate their application and limitations.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that fossil-fuel subsidy reform is a ready-to-deploy measure that can help UNFCCC Parties increase pre-2020 mitigation ambition to limit global temperature rise to 2°C. It provides specific recommendations for Parties to integrate subsidy reform into UNFCCC workstreams, national actions, and reporting mechanisms.

This briefing describes a workshop and project phase conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Low Carbon Promotion Center of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) in August 2013. The initiative focuses on using low-carbon standards to develop competitive green enterprises within economic and technological development zones in China.

This document is an addendum to the report 'Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies', published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in August 2013. The addendum provides corrected 2011 estimates for EU biofuel subsidies, specifically revising the figures for fuel excise tax exemptions, and details the calculation methodologies used for budgetary support and market price support.

This 2013 report analyzes the escalation of energy subsidies in Bangladesh, which rose from BDT 107.7 billion in FY2010 to an estimated BDT 298.1 billion in FY2013. The study identifies that the energy sector now accounts for over half of all budgetary subsidies. It highlights that while the poor are heavily dependent on kerosene and diesel for irrigation, the rich benefit more from gasoline and natural gas subsidies. The report argues that universal subsidies are inefficient and recommends a transition toward targeted social safety nets and volume-differentiated electricity tariffs to reduce the fiscal burden and address the national power crisis.

This research paper evaluates a capacity-building approach designed to help policy-makers in the Caribbean region mainstream Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) into national and regional development strategies. Using a six-step process based on the Driving Forces–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSC-DPSIR) framework, the authors conductedSSSS conducted three training applications in Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia. The study identifies key barriers to implementation, including limited human and financial resources, a lack of cross-sectoral collaboration, and the perception that MEAs are the sole responsibility of a single ministry.

This report analyzes the legislative landscape for cattail harvesting in Manitoba, finding a current lack of explicit federal or provincial regulation. It proposes two management models—private for-profit extraction and publicly funded land management—to integrate cattail harvesting into the regional bioeconomy and water management plans.

This commentary analyzes a May 6, 2013, World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body ruling regarding renewable energy generation measures in a dispute involving Canada (Ontario), Japan, and the European Union. The author argues that the ruling failed to provide necessary legal clarification on WTO rules for sustainable energy and may have created a problematic carve-out of the subsidy agreement, concluding that WTO members rather than the Appellate Body should define the boundaries for renewable energy support.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes President Obama's June 2013 climate change action plan. It examines the shift toward Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sector-regulation for electricity, the potential for alignment with subnational carbon pricing systems, and the implications for Canada's own regulatory approach and the Keystone XL Pipeline approval.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores options for establishing a voluntary peer-review process within the G-20 to advance the phase-out and rationalization of inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies. It analyzes the benefits of peer review as a 'soft law' tool, compares existing mechanisms in other international forums, and proposes specific structural options and reporting frameworks to balance mutual learning with accountability.