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 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.
Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre
The NBI Global Resource Centre aims to establish the business case for nature-based infrastructure, providing data, training, and customized project valuations.
State of Sustainability Initiatives
The State of Sustainability Initiatives examines how voluntary sustainability standards can support environmental and social goals.
New Research
IISD publishes objective, independent, high-quality research on sustainable development issues, including reports, policy briefs, and toolkits.
Investment Policy Forum Manila Tool Kit
The Investment Policy Forum (IPF) Manila Tool Kit assists governments to map and navigate between investment legal instruments and international commitments impacting investment.
State of Global Environmental Governance 2024
A review of environmental negotiations in 2024 explores the struggles for progress in a year of climate-fueled catastrophes and political turnover.
New Perspectives
IISD Trade and Sustainability Review, March 2025
This edition of the IISD Trade and Sustainability Review features four insights from experts on fisheries subsidies. The authors examine the current state of play on this issue at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and highlight the need for effective rules to address overfishing and promote marine sustainability.
Getting Where We Need to Go: Net-zero transport in Canada
This brief explains how a clean passenger transport system based on walking, cycling, public transit and electric vehicles can reduce costs for households and reliably meet Canadians' transportation needs while making cities cleaner, quieter, and safer.
FfD4 Countdown: Strengthening trade policy for sustainable development
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in July 2025 is an opportunity to redefine the role of trade policy frameworks in supporting sustainable and inclusive development.
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Our Impact
“The howler monkeys are everywhere”: How women in Belize are harnessing the power of nature to conserve their community
The president of the Community Baboon Sanctuary Women’s Conservation Group in Belize River Valley talks about the environmental challenges facing their community, the group’s proudest achievements, and their aspirations for community-based conservation through nature-based solutions.
Women Turning the Table on Food Loss and Waste in Kenya
A group of changemakers led a movement to tackle food loss and waste in Kenya. IISD experts have been working closely with local women leaders to make change happen.
Fueling Change: The journey to end fossil fuel subsidies in Canada
How Canada became the first country in the world to introduce a framework for ending government subsidies to domestic oil and gas companies.