The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to create a world where people and the planet thrive.
About IISDWhat We Do
Our research and policy work focuses on areas we deem ripe for transformation, where shifts in policy have the potential to change the nature of the game and where we have a proven record of making significant gains.
Flagship Initiatives
IISD Experimental Lakes Area
IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) is an exceptional natural laboratory comprised of 58 small lakes and their watersheds set aside for scientific research.
NAP Global Network
The NAP Global Network works with partners in the world’s most vulnerable countries to develop and implement climate adaptation plans for a more secure future.
Global Subsidies Initiative
The IISD Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) supports international processes, national governments, and civil society organizations to align subsidies with sustainable development.
The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development
The IGF supports nations committed to leveraging mining for sustainable development to ensure negative impacts are limited and financial benefits are shared.
SDG Knowledge Hub
The SDG Knowledge Hub provides daily information on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Earth Negotiations Bulletin provides balanced, timely, and independent reporting on United Nations environment and development negotiations.
Resilient Recovery
As governments around the world implement support packages to respond and recover from COVID-19, we must ensure these measures pave the way to a more sustainable economy and do not lock us further into a high-carbon future.
Don’t let green recovery become a political hot potato
Ensuring a resilient recovery is not just a question of what’s good for the economy or what’s good for the environment. It is now an issue of national competitiveness.
Energy Policy Tracker
Are we building back better? Every Wednesday, our experts provide new analysis of support for fossil fuels and clean energy.
Task Force for a Resilient Recovery
With ideas from Canada and around the world, our Task Force aims for a resilient recovery—one that delivers good jobs, is positive for the environment, and addresses inequality.
New Research
IISD publishes objective, independent, high-quality research on sustainable development issues, including reports, policy briefs, and toolkits.
Multilateral Regulatory Regimes and Plant Breeding
This policy brief reviews some of the issues that developing country governments should consider as they review national seed laws.
Stockholm and the Birth of Environmental Diplomacy
A 1972 UN conference began modern international cooperation on the environment. What lessons should we take from it amid mounting global crises?
New Perspectives
Three Ways COVID-19 Shows Vulnerable Workers Need Stronger Social Protections
The mining sector hasn't been spared from COVID-19; with sites closing and mobility restricted, the livelihoods of vulnerable workers are in jeopardy. What can be done to ensure no one is left behind?
The World Spoke, and It’s Time to Step Up Action
A year-long conversation with people around the world reveals that they do not want more of the same from global institutions.
Making the Trading System Work for the SDGs: 10 questions for the next WTO Director-General
Trade, if well managed, can be a powerful tool for development. But it must not stand in the way of achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Our Impact
Is It Raining Plastic?
We need more research to understand the effects of microplastics on our fresh water—and find solutions. That's where our team of experts come in.
A Fair Shake: How investment policy can support sustainable development
IISD experts are pushing for reform and offering their expertise to ensure good policy isn't held back by the threat of arbitration.
Sink, Swim … or Fight Back
After a devastating cyclone struck, the NAP Global Network—hosted by IISD—helped Fiji make a plan to build resilience.
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