In 2009, G20 governments committed to phasing out and rationalizing inefficient fossil fuel subsidies in the medium term, but 14 years later, the countries spent a record amount of public money to support coal, oil, and gas. What’s more, the issue of fossil fuel subsidies is notoriously absent in this year’s G20 agenda ahead of the Delhi Summit in September. With extreme weather events increasingly ravaging the globe, there is an urgent need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by shifting public financial flows away from them to directly support people and speed up the clean energy transition instead.

This webinar offered a first glimpse at the findings of a new study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and partners, examining the volume of public financial support for fossil fuels in the G20 last year. The event provides insights into how G20 countries can honour their subsidy reform commitments, with speakers taking a close look at the trends, challenges, and opportunities associated with ending public support for fossil fuels.

Agenda

Welcome

Aarti Khosla, Founder and Director, Climate Trends

Fanning the Flames: Study overview

Tara Laan, Senior Associate, IISD

Panel Discussion 

Diala Hawila, Programme Officer, International Renewable Energy Agency

Nate Vernon, Economist, International Monetary Fund

Livi Gerbase, Policy Advisor, Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos

Matthew Watkinson, Executive Director of Current Analysis and Economic Research, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Q&A

Closing Remarks

Shruti Sharma, Senior Policy Advisor, IISD

This webinar explores financing challenges and their potential solutions to advance India's green energy transition. The webinar examines the quantum of financial flows required for this energy transition, analyzing the current financing mechanisms and exploring short- and long-term measures that need to be undertaken by policy-makers to mobilize the necessary capital. It discusses the limitations of funding agencies and the need for diverse financial instruments and structures to supplement the existing banking system. Moreover, the webinar addresses the concept of transition finance, the role of domestic institutional capital, and ways to embed just transition principles into the discourse of development finance. It also covers the need for policy support and fiscal management to attract different sources of capital and foster a supportive policy environment to support a just green transition for India's energy sector. 

This webinar is organized by the Centre for Development & Environment Policy (CDEP) at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) as part of the Building Roadmaps for Industrial Decarbonisation and Green Economy (BRIDGE) initiative. BRIDGE aspires to bring experts together to discuss India’s changing energy landscape. The BRIDGE Initiative Webinar Series on Coal Transition, comprised of four webinars, focuses on the role of coal in a sustainable energy mix. 

Agenda 

Welcome

Setting the Context

Dhruba Purkayastha, India Director & USICEF Director, Climate Policy Initiative 

Panel Discussion

Neha Khanna, Senior Manager, Climate Policy Initiative

Shantanu Srivastava, Sustainable Finance and Climate Risk Lead, South Asia, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis 

Suranjali Tandon, Associate Professor, National Institute for Public Finance and Policy 

Vaibhav Pratap Singh, Independent Consultant

Q&A

Wrap Up

Mritiunjoy Mohanty, Professor, CDEP, IIM Calcutta 

This webinar will explore the essential governance elements needed to achieve a just energy transition in India, with a particular focus on the role of the state. It will delve into a bottom-up approach toward policy-making that prioritizes the well-being of individuals and communities, emphasizing the need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach. The policy landscape for energy transition will be meticulously assessed, highlighting the criticality of sectoral coordination between state departments and real-time monitoring mechanisms to accurately track progress. The use of industrial policy to achieve economic diversification will be examined emphasizing the state's role in facilitating entrepreneurship and the importance of embracing technological advancements to facilitate decarbonization.

Lessons from international experiences will be shared, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning to mitigate social and economic disruptions during coal transitions. Furthermore, the webinar will provide a bottom-up perspective, amplifying the voices and viewpoints of marginalized communities, and highlighting the transformative role of empowered local governance structures. By synthesizing these diverse perspectives, this webinar aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of the governance, policy, and community dimensions that are indispensable for achieving a just energy transition in India.

This webinar is organized by the Centre for Development and Environment Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, as part of the Building Roadmaps for Industrial Decarbonisation and Green Economy (BRIDGE) initiative. BRIDGE aspires to bring experts together to discuss India’s changing energy landscape. Comprising four webinars, the BRIDGE Initiative Webinar Series on Coal Transition focuses on the role of coal in a sustainable energy mix.

Agenda

Welcome

Setting the Context

Runa Sarkar, Professor, IIM Calcutta

Panel Discussion

Saon Ray, Visiting Professor, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations

Simran Grover, Founder and CEO, Centre for Energy, Environment and People

Vinuta Gopal, Co-Founder and CEO, Asar Social Impact Advisors

Madhura Joshi, Senior Associate, E3G India

Q&A

Wrap Up

Vibhuti Garg, Director, South Asia, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

National investment laws are versatile policy instruments. Governments can use them to ensure investment is governed in line with national policy objectives and the ultimate objective of promoting sustainable development—as explored in IISD's new report.

However, they are often seen as laws with one main function: to provide incentives or legal protection to investors. This narrow view misses the wide range of functions that investment laws perform today. It underestimates the potential of national investment laws as policy tools to help governments reach development goals.

National investment laws are currently in force in many developing countries but vary widely in terms of the functions they serve and their content. They can come to the attention of policy-makers for a variety of reasons, such as when:

• Policy-makers are evaluating the effectiveness of the tax incentives provided in the national investment law and ask if the incentives provided to certain types of investors work as intended.
• Foreign firms invest in an industry with national security relevance, which leads elected officials to consider if the screening and approval procedure outlined in the national investment law needs to be updated.
• Bilateral or regional investment treaties are being negotiated or reformed, prompting policy-makers to ask how their treaties and national laws relate to each other.
• Wider investment law reform discussions prompt policy-makers to ask if their investment law is outdated.
• The investment climate has been reviewed by an external organization, and the review recommends reforming the legal framework for investment, including updating an existing national investment law or writing a new one. 

In any of these circumstances, policy-makers may want to know more about national investment laws and consider creating, reforming, or removing national investment laws.

Based on IISD's new report, Rethinking National Investment Laws: A Study of Past and Present Laws to Inform Future Policy-Making, the purpose of the webinar was to help policy-makers rethink their national investment laws. In this webinar, a panel of esteemed investment policy experts from international organizations discussed the key findings of the IISD report and how national investment laws can be calibrated to face the current challenges of investment governance.

The webinar charted how national investment laws have changed over time and analyze contemporary investment laws, focusing on seven main functions that these laws serve today beyond the traditional dichotomy dividing national investment laws into facilitative and controlling. The speakers articulated lessons from the past and present to guide policy-makers on the reform of their investment laws.

Speakers:

Panelists:

Helene François, Legal Advisor and Investment Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Massimo Meloni, Coordinator, National Investment Policies Section, UN Conference on Trade and Development

Report authors:

Jonathan Bonnitcha, Associate Professor in Law, School of Global & Public Law, University of New South Wales; Senior Associate in Sustainable Investment, Economic Law and Policy Program, International Institute for Sustainable Development; co-author of the report.

Suzy H. Nikièma, Director of Investment for the Economic Law and Policy Program, International Institute for Sustainable Development; co-author of the report

Taylor St John, Lecturer, University of St Andrews, School of International Relations; co-author of the report

Moderator:

Josef Ostřanský, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development

The transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources presents both opportunities and challenges for India's coal sector. This webinar focuses on the economics and options for decommissioning end-of-life coal mines and thermal power plants, highlighting the potential for repurposing their land and assets. For example, it explores the potential of energy storage as a means of repurposing thermal power plants and will analyze the readiness of coal-based state-owned enterprises, such as Coal India Limited and NTPC, to effectively navigate the energy transition. Drawing on the experiences and best practices of international companies in successfully transitioning away from coal, this webinar will provide invaluable insights and lessons for navigating India’s coal transition.

This webinar is organized by the Centre for Development & Environment Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), as part of the Building Roadmaps for Industrial Decarbonisation and Green Economy (BRIDGE) initiative. BRIDGE aspires to bring experts together to discuss India’s changing energy landscape. The BRIDGE Initiative Webinar Series on Coal Transition comprises four webinars focused on the role of coal in a sustainable energy mix.

Agenda

Welcome

Setting the Context

Mritiunjoy Mohanty, Professor, Economics, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Panel Discussion

Sucharita Bhattacharjee, Policy Analyst and Deputy Head, CUTS International – Calcutta Resource Centre

Saarthak Khurana, Manager, Climate Policy Initiative

Shubham Thakare, Manager, Energy Modelling, Vasudha Foundation

Vibhuti Garg, Director, South Asia, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

Christopher Beaton, Lead, Sustainable Energy Consumption, IISD

Q&A

Closing Remarks

Christopher Beaton, Lead, Sustainable Energy Consumption, IISD

South Africa has been grappling with an unprecedented energy crisis where daily load shedding (scheduled power cuts) has become the norm. The declining performance of coal power stations and the limited ability of the grid to connect new power plants have been an important part of the cause.

This webinar outlines why energy storage should receive more attention in addressing the country’s electricity crisis. With grid-located batteries emerging as a short-term strategic priority, the panel examines how best to deploy these facilities. The discussion explores various battery topics, including how to make the best use of the existing grid, how to help municipalities at the distribution level, local value chain opportunities, and developer requirements for implementation.

Agenda

Welcome

Presentation on Report Findings

Richard Halsey, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development

Panel Discussion

Paul Vermeulen, Chief Engineer, Renewable Energy, City Power Johannesburg

Lesego Moshikaro, Economist, Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies

Frank Spencer, Regional Director for Southern Africa, Cainmani

Audience Discussion

Closing Remarks

There is a growing trend for corporate due diligence legislation across the Global North. However, its impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries remains underexplored. For the emerging due diligence initiatives to deliver on their potential for the environment and human rights, it is crucial that policy-makers understand their impact on local communities and small businesses across value chains.

In IISD's webinar, leading international experts began to tackle this knowledge gap—unpacking the central tenets of these regulations and the challenges and opportunities they create in developing countries.

Due diligence legislation, such as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, France's Duty of Vigilance Law, or Germany's Supply Chain Law, requires companies to respect human rights and the environment throughout their supply chains with legal and financial consequences if they do not comply.

The proliferation of due diligence legislation could reshape the business responsibility landscape and influence the dynamics of international investments, particularly in developing countries. This entails both opportunities and challenges.

Due diligence legislation has the potential to attract responsible investments, promote sustainable development, and foster better business practices. It can also create an impetus to reform regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance with international standards and promoting transparency, which can stimulate investment.

However, these new regulations present challenges that need to be adequately addressed. Due diligence legislation could conflict with pre-existing laws within developing countries, creating legal ambiguity and generating additional barriers to successful implementation. Local suppliers may also struggle to meet the stringent requirements of these laws—particularly in high-risk sectors such as textiles, agriculture, food, metals, and minerals—potentially hindering their participation in global supply chains, which could lead to reduced investments and job losses.

The webinar will feature expert insights into the origins and motivations of business due diligence legislation, potential incentives for regulatory reforms in developing countries, and the difficulties faced by local suppliers and small and medium-sized enterprises. The panelists will explore strategies to mitigate potential adverse effects, with a focus on promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.

The discussion aims to provide a holistic understanding of the potential impacts of due diligence legislation on FDI in developing countries to inform policy and decision making.

BACKGROUND

Deforestation and forest degradation are at the core of two planetary crises: biodiversity loss and climate change. As policy makers are turning their attention to the ways that international trade policy can enhance forest conservation and reduce deforestation, it is important to keep in mind that several national measures have already been put in place in producing countries including Costa Rica, Gabon, Rwanda, Peru and Indonesia, sometimes in collaboration with sustainability standards. There is a need to better understand these existing domestic efforts, to leverage lessons learnt, and to think further about the role trade policy can play to support good practices in this area.

ABOUT THIS EVENT

This event will enhance understanding of developing economy domestic policy efforts and the evolving trade policy context, to address deforestation and enhance forest conservation. The event will also serve as a discussion forum to facilitate an open exchange of views on concerns, challenges, and opportunities, from a producer country perspective.

Amidst a global climate-led transition away from coal, it is critical to understand the role coal plays in India’s energy mix. Any discussion on shifting the energy mix away from coal should assess the macro implications of such a transformation.

This webinar offers insights and solutions to assist India in navigating the energy challenges that lie ahead. It examines the role of coal within India's power sector and identifies the changes required to enable a just transition toward clean energy. The webinar features a discussion on the most cost-effective approach to meet India's growing energy demand, with a comparative evaluation of coal and renewable energy in fulfilling the country's electricity needs. It also explores the prospects of coal in India and the implications for its commitments to phase down coal and reach net-zero by 2070.

The event is the first in a webinar series organized by the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta's Centre for Development and Environment Policy (CDEP) and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) as part of CDEP's Building Roadmaps for Industrial Decarbonisation and Green Economy (BRIDGE) initiative. BRIDGE aspires to bring together experts to discuss India’s changing energy landscape. The BRIDGE Initiative Webinar Series on Coal Transition comprises four webinars on aspects related to coal and India’s energy transition. The webinar series is a curtain raiser to a forthcoming (2023) CDEP volume: The Role of Coal in a Sustainable Energy Mix for India: A Wide-Angle View (Routledge).

Agenda

Welcome

Deepak Sharma, Policy Analyst, IISD

Setting the Context

Runa Sarkar, Professor, IIM Calcutta

Panel Discussion

Sunil Dahiya, South Asia Analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air

Tirthankar Mandal, Head, Energy Policy, World Resources Institute India

Sambit Basu, Director (Programs) and Chief Energy Economist, Power Foundation of India

Vigya Sharma, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland

Q&A

Closing Remarks

Mritiunjoy Mohanty, Professor, Economics, IIM Calcutta

The global minimum tax that has garnered support from more than 140 nations has great potential to combat tax competition and help governments collect their fair share of revenue from multinational corporations.

At least two dozen countries are preparing to implement the 15% minimum tax on worldwide corporate income in 2024. In response, many nations will need to adapt their domestic policies to protect their tax base. This is especially true of developing economies and in cases where incentives have lowered tax rates below the global minimum rate.

This webinar explored the new IISD-ISLP Guide for Developing Countries on How to Understand and Adapt to the Global Minimum Tax, which provides policy-makers in developing countries with a simple framework to understand the global minimum tax, how it may affect them, and how to adapt their domestic tax policy in response.

A panel of experts discussed what implementation challenges developing countries are facing, what type of international technical assistance is available, and the future of tax incentives to promote investment.

Introductory Remarks

• Eniye Ogbebor, Senior Legal Program Officer, ISLP
• Alexandra Readhead, Lead, Tax and Extractives, IISD (Moderator)

Presenters

• Thomas Lassourd, Senior Policy Advisor, IISD
• Kudzai Mataba, Policy Analyst, IISD
• Zach Pouga Tinhaga, Tax Partner, Ernst & Young and ISLP Volunteer

Panellists

• Andrew Auerbach, Senior Tax Advisor, OECD
• Anarella Calderoni, Advisor, International Cooperation and Taxation Directorate, Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations
• Ronald Eberhard Tundang, Law Advisor, IISD
• Claudia Vargas Pastor, Public Sector Specialist, World Bank
• Jessica de Vries, Advisor, OECD