On September 23, Climate Group is hosting a panel at Climate Week NYC entitled “What’s Next for Green Trade in an Evolving Global Landscape?”  

The International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Lead for Trade and Green Transition, Ieva Baršauskaitė, will discuss these issues alongside Carolyn Fisher from the World Bank Research Group, Prof. Dan Esty from Yale University, Dr. Jan Yves Remy from the Shridath Ramphal Centre for Trade and Law Policy, and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran from The Economist.

Event details

Date: September 23, 2025

Time: 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Eastern Time

Venue: The Glasshouse, New York, NY

Registration: Climate Week NYC

About the event “What’s Next for Green Trade in an Evolving Global Landscape?”

This session will explore how the disruption and uncertainty created by the rise of new trade barriers is unfolding and what it could mean for the climate.

With protectionist policies and trade disruptions leaving the economic future uncertain, what does this mean for climate action? Between tariffs on steel and aluminum and both tariff and non-tariff barriers for solar and wind power, what are the impacts on green investments in the United States, and how might it impact the capacity and costs for other regions? 
 
The discussion will focus on the following:

• How rising trade barriers impact the flow of green technologies and low-carbon goods across borders.  
• How G20 economies and multinational businesses are responding
• How protectionism impacts green investment in the United States.
• How the economics of energy transition could create new opportunities.

From September 30 to October 2, 2025, Building Bridges will once again position Geneva at the centre of global efforts to align finance with sustainability. The summit brings together policy-makers, investors, and international organizations to move beyond dialogue and accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

IISD is proud to be a founding partner of Building Bridges. It contributes as part of the event selection committee, shaping the 2025 program. If you are attending Building Bridges, don't miss IISD's two sessions on channelling more finance into nature. IISD will explore the future of debt-for-nature swaps and the journey from project origination to financing NbS.  

Debt-for-Nature Swaps: Mobilizing private investors

Debt-for-nature swaps are re-emerging as a way to link debt sustainability with conservation and climate action. For investors and banks, the central question is under what conditions these instruments can offer both stable returns and measurable impact.

This session will explore how credit enhancements, blended finance, and sustainability-linked bonds can make debt-for-nature swaps attractive to private capital while ensuring transparent delivery of ecological and social outcomes.

Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025 | 15:30–17:00 CET 
Location: Centre International de Conférences Genève, Room B

Speakers

• Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe, IISD
• Louis Bourgeois, Senior Impact Manager, BlueOrchard
• Nathalie Picarelli, Senior Economist, World Bank
• Niki Doshi, Director, Sustainable Debt, The Nature Conservancy
• Guillaume Bonnel, CEO of the SDG Impact Finance Initiative 

Read more here.

Can't make it to Geneva? Watch the livestream here. 

 
 

From Project Origination to Financing Nature-Based Solutions

Scaling NbS requires more than good concepts. It depends on enabling frameworks, rigorous valuations, and innovative financing structures that make projects bankable without compromising impact.

This interactive fishbowl session will follow the journey from project origination through to financing, addressing how to demonstrate co-benefits, reduce uncertainty, and create conditions for institutional and private capital to engage.

Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025 | 10:30–12:00 CET 
Location: Centre International de Conférences Genève – Room 9 (Level 2) 

Speakers

• Hilda Liswani, Global Strategic Partnership Lead, Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation
• Juraj Jurík, Director, Infrastructure and Nature, Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation
• Marie-Laure Schaufelberger, Chief Sustainability Officer, Pictet Group
• Ilona Szabó de Carvalho, President and Co-founder, Igarapé Institute
• David Uzsoki, Sustainable Finance Lead, IISD
• Santiago Espinosa de los Monteros Harispuru, CEO Toroto

Read more and sign up here. 

On September 9, 2025, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) are hosting the event Rethinking Fiscal Incentives for a Just Energy Transition: Lessons from green and fossil fuel regimes. 

Taking place alongside the Second Africa Climate Summit, the discussion will explore how tax policies can support a just energy transition in Africa and will include the launch of new IISD research on green tax incentives for renewables and TJNA analysis of fiscal incentives in Nigeria’s fossil fuel sector.

Event details

• Date: September 9, 2025
• Time: 1:30 PM, Eastern Africa Time
• Venue: Addis International Convention Center, Room F1
• Registration: Click here

About the Africa Climate Summit

The Second Africa Climate Summit will be held in Addis Ababa from September 8–10, 2025, under the theme Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa's Resilient and Green Development. The summit will gather over 45 African heads of state and government, as well as leaders from the private sector, civil society, and academia. It provides a platform to advance Africa’s climate and development priorities, champion African-led solutions and initiatives in energy, food systems, innovation, and climate-smart infrastructure.

About the side event "Rethinking Fiscal Incentives for a Just Energy Transtion"

Scaling up renewable energy is essential for meeting Paris Agreement targets and addressing energy access challenges in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies. Tax strategies can play a crucial role in this regard, supporting or undermining a just energy transition in Africa.

Public financial support, especially the use of fiscal incentives designed to attract environmental projects, referred to as "green incentives", can support countries in mobilizing investment for renewable energy deployment, if they are properly aligned with national policies and designed considering long-term fiscal implications. However, these policies exist alongside fiscal incentives given to the fossil fuel industry. These incentives are under increasing scrutiny as African countries grapple with the twin challenges of energy security and climate resilience.

• Launching new research

This event will feature two complementary research projects that offer a more coherent approach to fiscal reform. The first, by IISD, focuses on green incentives for renewable energy, while the second, by TJNA, examines tax incentives within Nigeria's fossil fuel industry. Together, these reports provide a critical view of fiscal incentives across the energy sector. They show how tax policy can either support or undermine climate goals and seek to support countries to design incentives carefully and align them with their national transition strategy.

The second edition of the Africa Climate Summit will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from September 8 to 10, 2025. Under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa's Resilient and Green Development,” the flagship gathering will bring together 45 heads of state and government and more than 25,000 delegates from the private sector, civil society, academia, youth, and women’s organizations.

Discussions will focus on

• nature-based solutions (NbS) and technologies for climate change adaptation and sustainable development;
• Africa’s climate risks and opportunities for scalable responses;
• climate finance pathways, shifting from international aid to investment in local innovation and African-led solutions.

The SUNCASA project (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa) will be featured across panels and side events on climate finance, green infrastructure, and gender equality and social inclusion. Representatives from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the World Resources Institute, and local partners in Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa) will highlight the following:

• progress achieved in implementing NbS;
• the economic benefits of NbS investments projected through 2050;

• how SUNCASA is partnering with local communities to challenge gender-biased social norms and foster the meaningful participation of women, girls, and underrepresented groups in NbS and climate adaptation governance.

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Side Events Featuring SUNCASA

Harnessing Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience: Data, finance, and community-led action

• Date: September 8, 2025
• Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
• Venue: AICC – Room AP 2
• Co-organizers: World Resources Institute, World Bank, African Development Bank, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Resilient Cities Network

As African cities confront rising climate risks, NbS offer powerful tools to build resilience—if they can be scaled effectively. This session will showcase how data, finance, and community leadership are unlocking NbS at scale. Examples will include the SUNCASA project in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Africa, as well as urban NbS initiatives in Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, and Somalia. Speakers will highlight how climate data and technology are guiding NbS planning, forecasting climate impacts, and demonstrating results over time.

Greening African Cities: How nature-based solutions can help build just, equitable, climate resilient communities

• Date: September 9, 2025
• Time: 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
• Venue: WRI Pavilion

While NbS provide cities with multiple benefits, their integration into urban planning requires careful, inclusive approaches to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities. Drawing from SUNCASA's implementation in Dire Dawa, Kigali, and Johannesburg, this session will highlight how gender-responsive NbS are reducing flood risks, biodiversity loss, and urban heat while also strengthening community cohesion between men and women, and across generations.

IISD’s Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) was launched in 2005 as a pioneering program focused on identifying, evaluating, and reforming subsidies. The GSI aims to

• increase transparency around subsidies,
• support governments in designing and implementing subsidy reforms, and
• build coalitions and political momentum for global subsidy reform.

To celebrate the GSI’s 20-year anniversary, this high-level event at the WTO Public Forum will explore the evolution of subsidies and the future directions of subsidy reform. Senior government leaders and experts will share their insights on lessons learned, explore current priorities, and highlight country experiences. Event discussions will explore how to overcome subsidy reform barriers and identify ways forward.

Please note that this is an in-person event, and you must be registered with the WTO 2025 Public Forum to attend.

Speakers

Moderator

Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe, IISD

Panellists

H.E. Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota, Ambassador of Brazil to the WTO

Myrto Zambarta, Director, Multilateral Affairs, Strategy, Analysis & Evaluation, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission

Julia Nielson, Deputy Director, Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD

Mark Halle, Senior Advisor, NatureFinance

In the lead-up to South African Women’s Day, IISD and Oxfam South Africa co-hosted a T20 side event that put gender equity and social inclusion at the centre of the global energy transition. This timely discussion brought together experts from across the energy, gender, development, business, and government sectors to share research, innovations, and real-world experiences aimed at making energy policy more inclusive and effective.

Despite global progress in clean energy, millions still lack access to affordable, reliable power. The effects are most keenly felt by women and disadvantaged groups in developing countries who are often overlooked in the decision making that shapes energy systems. This event explored how energy transitions can be designed to actively address inequality by elevating community-driven solutions, rethinking engagement approaches, and building policies and business models that reflect the needs of all.

The event featured a keynote address by Lebogang Mulaisi from the South African Presidential Climate Commission, followed by research presentations and high-level insights from researchers. Lastly, during the panel discussion and Q&A, attendees had the opportunity to join the conversation and ask questions of our high-level panel.

The aim of the event was to identify concrete policy shifts that can improve gender equity and social inclusion outcomes in emerging economies.

Agenda

Welcome

Isobel Frye, G20 Senior Policy Advisor, Oxfam South Africa

Tara Laan, Lead, Incentivizing Renewables, IISD

Keynote Address

Lebogang Mulaisi, Executive Manager, Policy and Research, South Africa Presidential Climate Commission

Identifying Solutions

Cindy Shigoli, Head of ESG, SunCulture

Tracy Ledger, Senior Researcher, Public Affairs Research Institute

Mamosweu Tsoabi, Co-founder, Serapeng Sa Dithlari Environmental NPC

Panel Discussion

Linet Miriti, Chief Gender Officer, African Development Bank

Duduzile Sibiya, Provincial Climate Change Coordinator, Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs

Alex Benkenstein, Programme Head, Climate and Natural Resources, South African Institute of International Affairs

Mmathebe Zvobwo, Director, Market Development, Truecaller South Africa

Bertha Chiroro, Programs Director, GenderCC-Southern Africa

Conclusion

Nkateko Chauke, Acting Executive Director and Programmes Director, Oxfam South Africa

The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development, hosted by IISD, will hold its 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 3-5 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, hosted by UN Trade and Development. This year’s theme is Value Beyond Extraction: Rethinking Mining for a Resilient Future.

As the leading international mining policy forum, the AGM provides a unique opportunity for policy-makers to connect with their global peers alongside actors from industry, civil society, and non-governmental and international organizations. The proceedings will focus on reimaging how mineral wealth can support diversified, resilient, and sustainable economies. Delegates will advance discussions on the future of mining and the need to ensure that mineral value addition brings broad economic, social, and environmental benefits to resource-rich countries.

The AGM will include expert-led sessions that examine important aspects of value addition, including legal frameworks, benefits sharing, economic diversification, community resilience, infrastructure, artisanal and small-scale mining, non-metallic mining, and more. The AGM will also include dedicated sessions on key mining governance issues, including critical minerals, environmental management, mineral exploration, sustainability standards, and abandoned mines.

• All plenary sessions will include language interpretation for participants in English, French, Spanish, and Russian.
• More event details will be shared closer to the event on the AGM website.

IGF Government Forum

Following the 21st IGF Annual General Meeting, the IGF Government Forum will take place on Thursday, November 6, at the Palais des Nations. During this 1-day workshop, IGF members will join discussions on thematic and regional priorities. The IGF General Council session will also be held on this day, wherein members will be asked to vote in new members of the IGF Executive Committee. The IGF Government Forum is open to government officials only.

On July 3rd, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the International Centre for Tax and Development, ODI Global, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies are co-hosting a side event at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain.

This event will focus on how collaborative research and close partnerships between researchers and tax authorities are driving meaningful reforms in tax policy and improving tax administration outcomes across the Global South. As countries face increasing fiscal pressures amid shrinking aid and rising debt burdens, these partnerships provide vital evidence-based insights that enable governments to design smarter, fairer, and more sustainable tax systems.

The panel will also explore the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling these successful collaborations to reach more countries and institutions, highlighting the critical role that data-driven, context-sensitive approaches play in advancing sustainable development goals.

Join us to learn from experts and policymakers about how research-led collaboration can make a change and build resilient tax systems that fund essential public services, promote inclusive growth, and support climate and biodiversity goals.

Introductory Remarks

• Louise Walker, Deputy Director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom
  Presentation
• Giulia Mascagni, Executive Director, ICTD
• Alexandra Readhead, Director of Tax and Debt, IISD
• Yani Tyskerud, Programme Director, TaxDev, based at the IFS

Panel Discussion

• Dingani Banda, Commissioner General, Zambia Revenue Authority
• Jeneba Bangura, Commissioner General, National Revenue Authority, Sierra Leone
• Emeka Nwankwo, Head of Member Services, African Tax Administration Forum
• Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister of Finance, Ghana

As countries ramp up their efforts to address climate change, some are considering border carbon adjustments (BCAs) to reduce the risk of carbon leakage. However, BCAs are novel and challenging measures for many trading partners, especially those pursuing different mitigation pathways. With BCAs emerging as a growing policy priority, international cooperation is essential to avoid policy fragmentation and ensure that the interests of developing countries are considered.

IISD’s trade team hosted a 3-day convening focused on advancing global cooperation on BCAs. The event brought together WTO delegates and stakeholders to explore potential pathways for international cooperation on BCAs and the WTO’s role in that process.

On July 2, 2025, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee (RBWC) will host an in-person side event during the FfD4 conference in Seville.

At the event, IISD will present new research on the most important sources of development finance, introducing a strategic framework linking these sources with actionable policy strategies that can future-proof development finance, making it more resilience, adaptable and impactful over the next decade.

The side event aims to:  

• Provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss a new approach to global economic governance, including changes to the international financial architecture and implications for the next decade of development finance.
• Present an approach to implementing FfD4 that prioritizes sources of finance and policy actions based on probability of success, and maximum impact.

Event details

• Date: July 2, 2025
• Time: 8:30 AM CEST
• Venue: FIBES Sevilla Exhibition and Conference Centre, side event room 22

Please note: attendance is strictly in person and open to those registered for FfD4 via national delegations or recognized accredited entities only.

Speakers

• Alexandra Readhead, Director, Tax and Sovereign Debt, IISD
• Carlo Monticelli, Governor, Council of Europe Development Bank
• Daouda Sembene, CEO, AfriCatalyst
• Duncan Pieterse, Director General, National Treasury, South Africa
• Marc Uzan, Executive Director, Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee
• Nathalie Bernasconi, Vice President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe, IISD
• Guido Schmidt-Traub, Partner, Systemiq Ltd.
• Vera Daves, Minister of Finance, Angola