Tara Laan
Lead, Incentivizing Renewables
Tara Laan is a Lead, Incentivizing Renewables, in IISD’s Energy Program. She has over 17 years of experience in energy policy, with a particular focus on subsidies and taxation.
Tara’s work spans a diverse range of economies, including the energy program’s focus countries: Canada, India, Indonesia, and South Africa. She has successfully concluded projects with the Asian Development Bank, the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency in Nigeria, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the OECD, and the World Bank, among others.
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Contact details
Additional information
- Areas of expertise
- Subsidies
- Responsible Business
- Trade
- Energy
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Sustainable Finance
- Biofuels
- Green Taxation
- Natural Resource Management
- Renewable Energy
- Education
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Bachelor of Science, Botany and Zoology, University of Adelaide
Contributions
Publications
Spending Public Money Smarter for Energy Security
Four energy-importing countries show how public financial support for clean energy can reduce exposure to fossil fuel price shocks.
Digital Story
September 11, 2026
Making Electric Vehicles Work for More People
At least seven of the 21 BRICS+ economies are directing subsidies toward electric vehicles (EVs) and transport services widely used by lower- and middle-income people—from two- and three-wheelers to buses and shared transport.
Digital Story
September 4, 2026
IISD Submission to the Belém Mission to 1.5
This submission is made in response to the invitation from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) 29, COP 30, and COP 31 Presidencies on the Belém Mission to 1.5.
Brief
July 22, 2026
Beyond Irrigation: Turning sunlight into supper for Kenya's women and farmers
This study evaluates feasibility of electric cookers powered by solar irrigation systems and their impact on gender equality and social inclusion in rural Kenyan households.
Report
February 10, 2026
Articles
The Surprising Route to Energy Security: Scrap fossil fuel subsidies
Energy security cannot be bought with fossil fuel subsidies. Reforming them offers a solution—one that reduces risk rather than reinforcing it.
Deep Dive
February 17, 2026
Five Trends That Have Shaped Global Subsidies Over Decades
As we celebrate the Global Subsidies Initiative's 20th anniversary, we asked our experts how thinking on government support has shifted over time.
Explainer
December 16, 2025
Clean Cooking Means Moving Beyond Fossil Fuels—G20 countries must lead the way
Universal access to clean cooking has long been a G20 goal. Shifting beyond fossil fuels is vital to make clean cooking universal and sustainable.
Deep Dive
November 18, 2025
Why Gender Inclusion Must Drive the Just Energy Transition
As the global clean energy transition gains momentum, one principle becomes increasingly clear: we cannot talk about equity without addressing gender. And yet, for many women in South Africa, the energy transition feels divorced from their everyday realities.
Insight
August 15, 2025
Seven Ways Fossil Fuel Subsidies Undermine Energy Security
Fossil fuel subsidies are often seen as a safety net, protecting consumers from rising energy prices. But do they actually help build long-term energy security? Our experts explain why this assumption might be deeply misleading.
Deep Dive
April 22, 2025
The Cost of Fossil Fuel Reliance
Government support for fossil fuels reached at least USD 1.5 trillion in 2023, new data shows.
Insight
December 18, 2024
Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability: A landmark pact for trade and sustainability
Explore the ACCTS trade agreement and how it links climate policy with trade—covering fossil fuel subsidy rules, environmental goods, and eco‑labelling standards.
Deep Dive
December 13, 2024
Green Recovery Know-How From the Nordics
Nordic countries are known for combining healthy economic growth with solid social and environmental policies. What's their secret to green recovery?
Insight
July 30, 2020