Economic Law and Policy

How Could China’s New Foreign Investment Law Impact Trade Debate?

Sustainability and Second Life: The case for cobalt and lithium recycling

Touring Agricultural Investment Projects

About Economic Law and Policy

Our experts focus on areas of economic policy-making essential to sustainable development, including investment, trade, public procurement, infrastructure financing, and sustainability standards.

Our sector-specific work focuses on agriculture and mining in developing countries, given the urgency of the reforms needed and the impact on sustainable development.

IISD also serves as the secretariat to the Intergovermental Forum on Mining, Minerals Metals and Sustainable Development, a member-driven organization providing governments the opportunity to work collectively to achieve their sustainable mining goals.

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Blog

Blog

Modernizing the Energy Charter Treaty: A make-or-break moment for sustainable, climate-friendly energy policy

The stated goal of the Energy Charter Treaty is to foster cooperation in the energy sector, but it's creating more problems than it's solving.
Discussion Paper

Discussion Paper

IGF Case Study: Automation and Water-Saving Technologies

These case studies highlight the key emerging technologies that are being rolled out in the mining sector and their potential impacts on mining-rich countries. Case studies based on innovations in Australia, Mali and South Africa, focusing on two different types of technologies (namely automation and water-saving technologies) illustrate what the possible impacts could be and how governments are responding to those challenges.
Discussion Paper

Discussion Paper

IGF Case Study: Skills Building for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining

Women play a crucial role in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). While their challenges in the sector have been studied extensively, increased effort is needed to create a more widespread understanding of their importance to ASM.
Report

Report

The State of Sustainable Markets 2019: Statistics and emerging trends

This joint publication by ITC, IISD and FiBL provides comprehensive data on the sustainability standards being used for the production of various commodities, including banana, cocoa, coffee, cotton, oil palm, soybean, sugarcane, tea and forestry products.
Report

Report

New Tech, New Deal: Technology Impacts Review

This review surveys new mining technologies and their impacts, in particular on labour. It asks how they will affect the relationship between mining companies and their host communities and host countries.
Newsletter

Newsletter

Investment Treaty News (ITN), Volume 10, Issue 4, October 2019

Investment Treaty News (ITN) is IISD’s flagship journal on international investment law and policy. This special edition of ITN is devoted to international investment governance.
Blog

Blog

Time to ACCTS? Five countries announce new initiative on trade and climate change

Costa Rica, Fiji, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway launched an initiative that firmly melds trade and climate change together.
Newsletter

Newsletter

Investment Treaty News (ITN), Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2019

Investment Treaty News (ITN) is IISD’s flagship journal on international investment law and policy.