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This briefing analyzes the progress of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) following COP 17 and subsequent 2012 sessions in Bonn and Bangkok, exploring potential scenarios for an inclusive international climate change agreement ahead of COP 18 in Doha.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) compares the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies of Canada and Australia as of November 2012. It contrasts Australia's unified national carbon pricing approach with Canada's decentralized, sector-by-sector regulatory framework, analyzing the political risks, subnational dynamics, and estimated regulatory costs associated with each model.

This meeting report from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) documents a workshop held in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2012. The event focused on the challenges and opportunities of fossil-fuel subsidy reform in Southeast Asia, presenting case studies from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Iran, while providing a policy framework for sustainable reform.

This executive summary outlines research conducted by the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins and the International Institute for Sustainable Development on the role of the private sector within the REDD+ supply chain. The research, supported by Norad, aims to identify private sector players, their motivations, and the challenges they face to increase the scale of effective involvement in mitigating climate change and deforestation.

This policy paper, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins with support from Norad, examines the role of the private sector within the REDD+ supply chain to identify ways to increase the scope and scale of its involvement.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development discusses the critical role of private sector engagement in the REDD+ supply chain to scale up investment and provide technical expertise for mitigating climate change and deforestation.

A research paper by Bill St. Arnaud exploring ICT-based adaptation solutions for climate change, including the potential of 'Green clouds' and the 'Energy Internet', as well as the feasibility of solar-powered electric cookers in rural Kenya.

This policy brief discusses the development of Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) for REDD+, emphasizing that these systems can be built upon existing national and international architectures rather than requiring entirely new mechanisms.

The report examines the intersection of ICTs and sustainability, arguing that the information revolution has fundamentally altered social and economic structures in ways that the sustainable development community has largely ignored. While ICTs offer potential for carbon reduction through 'smart systems,' they also create significant environmental harms via short device life cycles and energy-intensive data centres. The authors criticize the Rio+20 Summit for treating ICTs as incidental tools rather than systemic drivers of change and call for a shift away from formal UN summits toward more adaptive, multistakeholder dialogues to bridge the gap between the ICT and sustainability sectors.

This report documents a series of workshops organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) between 2008 and 2011. The workshops focused on the intersection of Internet policy, governance, and sustainable development, exploring how technical and policy decisions regarding the Internet impact social, economic, and environmental goals.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the implementation of Australia's Clean Energy Future carbon pricing mechanism. It details the scheme's structure, including its transition from a fixed-price period to a cap-and-trade system, the associated compensation measures for industry and households, and the resulting impacts on subnational policies. The document highlights lessons for Canada, specifically regarding the importance of robust emissions reporting and the risks of locking in fixed prices amidst volatile international markets.

This policy brief examines the implementation and impacts of Iran's Targeted Subsidies Reform Act, which began in December 2010 to phase out energy subsidies and replace them with cash transfers. It details the challenges of price adjustments, the fiscal burden of universal cash payments, and the complicating effects of international sanctions on inflation and the foreign exchange market.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the design of federal greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations for Canada's oil and gas sector. The authors argue that because the sector has a limited ability to deliver emission intensity improvements by 2020, regulations must incorporate compliance flexibility—both within the sector (via credit trading) and beyond the sector (via price ceilings and offsets)—to remain cost-effective while increasing environmental ambition.

This report examines the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within technical-vocational education and training (TVET) in Manitoba, Canada. It identifies promising practices, such as the development of a new alternative energy program and the inclusion of sustainability outcomes in curricula, while highlighting significant barriers including lack of funding for green equipment, insufficient teacher training, and a gap in provincial-level policy guidance. The report suggests strengthening partnerships with industry to identify green skill demands and expanding professional development for educators to better prepare students for a green economy.

This document is an address by Aaron Cosbey of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) delivered to the 49th Session of UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Board on September 25, 2012. Cosbey argues that the outcomes of the Rio+20 conference are insufficient for guiding states through the trade tensions arising from the transition to a green economy. He highlights the conflict between the use of green industrial policies—such as subsidies and local content requirements—and their impact on the multilateral trading system, particularly for developing countries. Cosbey calls for a non-legal, non-negotiating framework, potentially led by UNCTAD, to determine the propriety and effectiveness of these measures before they escalate into formal trade disputes.

This policy brief summarizes research conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), and The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) regarding the reform of fossil-fuel subsidies in India.

This briefing examines food security challenges in Africa, focusing on the impact of price volatility, the role of agricultural policy, and international initiatives like the G-8's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. It highlights the gap between policy commitments, such as the CAADP's spending targets, and actual implementation, while discussing the tension between trade-led food security and national self-sufficiency.

The 'Toolkit on Internet Public Policy Dialogue' is a guide published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in September 2012. It provides policy practitioners with a structured, multistakeholder approach to gathering evidence and securing public consent for Internet and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies. The toolkit emphasizes 'adaptive policy making' to respond to the rapidly evolving technological landscape and provides eight specific tools—ranging from expert roundtables and policy mapping to online surveys and public forums—to facilitate inclusive dialogue across government, private sector, civil society, and academia.

This policy brief examines the necessity and challenges of regulating and supervising the microfinance sector. It argues that while a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is inappropriate, appropriate oversight is critical for financial stability and consumer protection. Using Indonesia as a case study, the document highlights the balance between enabling growth through deregulation and implementing corrective prudential measures.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the effectiveness of investment incentives in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). It argues that fiscal incentives cannot compensate for a weak investment climate and recommends a transition from automatic tax holidays toward targeted, performance-based incentives and transparent tax administration.