Policy Analysis

To put it simply, this is a space for our policy experts to wonk out—after all, some issues can only be tackled with technical expertise on niche subjects. IISD's team understands the importance of effective commentary and the ways in which it can lead to transformative policy change in the real world.

Investing in Sustainable Energy: The case for solar technologies in Sri Lanka

This commentary outlines why Sri Lanka should abandon coal and invest instead in a national solar energy program modelled on the experience of India.

Policy Analysis April 12, 2016

A Step in the Right Direction: The EU's revised directives on public procurement

The revised EU directives on public procurement provide welcome leadership on sustainable public procurement. The question that remains is how it can be implemented.

Policy Analysis March 1, 2016

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Part I: A deal too far

The release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement last fall has unleashed a heated debate over its costs and benefits.

Policy Analysis February 1, 2016

TTIP and Climate Change: Low economic benefits, real climate risks

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)—a trade and investment agreement under negotiation between the European Union and United States—can increase emissions and restrict the ability of nations to adequately mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Policy Analysis December 2, 2015

Seven Priorities for the New Canadian Federal Government: The Environmental and Sustainability Agenda

Policy Analysis October 20, 2015

A brief analysis of the UN Sustainable Development Summit

The UN had at least two clear purposes in convening the Sustainable Development Summit―to adopt its development agenda for the next 15 years, the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and to demonstrate that all countries are committed to its implementation.

Policy Analysis September 30, 2015

Chapter: Trade and Sustainable Development from Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities

Sustainable development is one of the most difficult policy challenges of our time. It is also closely linked to the global trading system. In this chapter from IRPP's Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities, IISD President Scott Vaughan describes how environmental concerns have become part of international trade policy over the past two decades, and discusses some of the implications for Canada.

Policy Analysis September 28, 2015

Inclusivity and Integration: The new Sustainable Development Goals and a second chance for Bretton Woods

The Sustainable Development Goals have been dubbed “the Bretton Woods moment for our generation.” This paper explores some of the ideas and actors that shaped the earlier vision of the first Bretton Woods system, which laid the economic foundation and institutions of the post-Second World War period.

Policy Analysis September 24, 2015

Regional Sustainable Development: Lessons in integrated policies (speech)

Policy Analysis September 15, 2015

Comparative Commentary to Brazil’s Cooperation and Investment Facilitation Agreements (CIFAs) with Mozambique, Angola, Mexico, and Malawi

Unlike traditional bilateral investment treaties (BITs), which are geared toward investor protection, Brazil’s Cooperation and Investment Facilitation Agreements (CIFAs—or ACFIs in their Portuguese acronym) focus primarily on cooperation and investment facilitation.

Policy Analysis September 11, 2015

Policy Analysis

Highlights

What’s Next After UNEA-6: Why “synergies” is more than a buzzword

Ending the WTO Dispute Settlement Crisis: Where to from here?

The Role of Agricultural Trade in Reducing Inequality

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