Fossil fuel subsidies act against our efforts to limit climate change to a 1.5°C temperature increase because they encourage the wasteful consumption of fossil fuels and slow down the uptake of clean alternatives.

Fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) requires action both domestically and internationally. Against the backdrop of record-high global fossil fuel subsidies, the Netherlands launched an international coalition to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies at COP 28 in Dubai—12 additional members have signed on to date. The coalition aims to be high ambition, making rapid, substantive progress on transparency of members' own fossil fuel subsidies, establishing pathways for domestic reform, and in addressing FFSR barriers embedded in international agreements.

This new coalition will be hosting a public event on the sidelines of SB 60 in Bonn. The session will be an opportunity to discuss substantive actions the coalition is planning and how to advance these within UNFCCC processes. The event will be hosted by the Netherlands.

This in-person event will take place on Saturday June 8, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) office (Tulpenfeld 6, 53113 Bonn, Germany), just 5 minutes' walk from the World Conference Center. Please note that we require registration for this event and recommend a limit of two participants per organization.

Agenda

Welcome

Introduction and Moderator Overview

Philip Gass, Director, Energy Programme, International Institute for Sustainable Development

High-Ambition Coalition on Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform

Bastiaan Hassing, Head of Unit for International Climate Policy, Climate Directorate, Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy

Improving Quality of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Commitments

Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform in Nationally Determined Contributions

Jonas Kuehl, Policy Advisor, Energy Programme, International Institute for Sustainable Development

The role of Political Economy for implementing FFSR

Mauricio Böhl Gutierrez, Researcher, German Institute of Development and Sustainability

Q&A

The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) is hosting its 20th Annual General Meeting on November 18-20 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, hosted by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This year’s theme is Redefining Mining: Balancing the Need for Minerals with Protecting People and the Planet. 

• Download the agenda in English, French, or Spanish.
• Click here for information.
• The IGF Secretariat has been hosted by IISD since 2015.

The 16th edition of the Investment Policy Forum (IPF) was hosted by the Government of the Philippines and took place in Manila from October 16 to 18, 2024. Investment policy-makers and negotiators from developing countries—spanning Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean—discussed, strategized, and shared experiences to advance our shared vision of fair and sustainable international investment governance.

The Investment Policy Forum (IPF), organized by IISD, is the world's only platform exclusively for investment policy-makers from developing countries. This flagship IISD event leads the way on sustainable investment reform from the bottom up, driven by our global community of investment policy-makers from developing countries.

At the 16th edition, the participants developed the Investment Policy Forum Manila Tool Kit, a tool to help policy-makers map out and navigate international commitments that intersect with their investment policies. This follows the Investment Policy Forum Panama Tool Kit, developed at the 2023 IPF, an instrument to enhance the coordination between countries' domestic institutions involved in investment policy-making.

In total, 84 participants representing 35 developing country governments and 10 regional and international organizations attended the event in person. Across the 3 days, the 2024 IPF consisted of 13 individual sessions, including panels, workshops (breakout sessions), briefings, and keynote addresses.

During International Development Week, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Nature-Based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity Community of Practice are organizing a hybrid event on empowering communities through nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. By showcasing successful case studies and innovative practices, this event aims to promote knowledge sharing among experts and practitioners while encouraging collaboration and networking.

Simultaneous interpretation in English and French will be available throughout the event. 

After the event, refreshments will be provided at a networking reception for in-person attendees. 

Find out the agenda and register for this event here. For more events taking place during International Development Week (February 4–10, 2024), see the calendar of activities here. 

Event Details 

Date: February 8, 2024 

Time: 3–6 p.m. (GMT-5) 

Location: Aga Khan Foundation Canada, Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, 199 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, and online 

Public procurement can play a key role in strategic governance, ensuring service delivery that achieves value for money and generates benefits not only for organizations, but also for the environment, society and the economy. IISD's Procurement team will present key research on green public procurement at this year's conference in Lisbon, Portugal as part of the Market Lounge on 14 March.

Tracking progress: Trends and tools for GPP monitoring
As governments increasingly leverage their buying power to contribute to sustainability objectives, the importance of monitoring green public procurement (GPP) is gaining traction. The roundtable will delve into the latest trends and increasing demands surrounding GPP monitoring, highlighting the shift from tracking green processes to monitoring the tangible sustainability outcomes, such as reducing CO2 emissions. Worldwide, governments are grappling with the challenge of effectively monitoring GPP to measure their progress and build a compelling case for sustainable purchasing. This roundtable discussion, facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) provides an opportunity for experts, practitioners, and policymakers to come together and explore innovative solutions.

About the conference

The Procura+ conference (formerly EcoProcura) has been running for 25 years and is a dynamic and unique meeting place to exchange and equip participants with the latest professional information, advice and networking opportunities wanting to implement high quality, cost effective, sustainable, circular and innovation procurement practices.This year the Conference will take place in the Lisbon Congress Centre.

This COP 28 side event showcases progress to date on phasing out oil and gas production in Canada. Panellists from a diverse range of backgrounds will discuss opportunities to amplify the phase-out across the country, highlighting the role of Indigenous leadership, civil society advocacy, provincial policy, and international governance frameworks.

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions

Angela Carter, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Senior Associate, IISD

Panel Discussion

Catherine McKenna, Chair, UN High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities

Eriel Deranger, Executive Director, Indigenous Climate Action

Jean Lemire, Emissary for Climate Change and Northern Issues, Government of Quebec 

Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada

Julia Levin, Associate Director, National Climate, Environmental Defence

Q&A

Closing Remarks

Dale Marshall, Senior Director Climate Program, Trottier Family Foundation

Tackling climate change means radically transforming our infrastructure basis. Power generation, transport, buildings and industry make up more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and determine social and economic vulnerability to climate impacts. Achieving a net zero, resilient future requires to scale-up public and private investment in sustainable infrastructure, particularly in fast-growing Asia where the bulk of new infrastructure will be built in the next decade. Planning ministries have a crucial role in facing this challenge, since their plans are designed to account for long-term risks and their convening power can influence decisions across sectoral ministries.

During this session, a panel of planning ministry representatives and infrastructure experts from Southeast Asia will explore emerging good practices in planning infrastructure under uncertainty to address interconnected environmental emergencies, such as climate change – and adapting to its impacts – and biodiversity loss. These practices have been identified and encouraged by the OECD’s Sustainable Infrastructure Programme in Asia (SIPA), which actively supports Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and other emerging Asian economies to adopt infrastructure planning, evaluation and delivery to ensure their infrastructure systems set them on a course compatible with the Paris Agreement. SIPA is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Speakers:

• Sumedi Andono Mulyo, Director for National Priority Infrastructure Projects Development and Planning (P3IPN), Deputy for Facilities and Infrastructure. Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), Indonesia.
• Liesbeth Casier, Lead, Sustainable Public Procurement Specialist. International Institute for Sustainable Development.
• Sophie Lavaud, Policy Analyst / Economist Climate Adaptation. OECD. 
• Virginie Marchal, Senior Programme Manager SIPA. OECD. 
• Roderick M. Planta, Assistant Secretary, Investment Programming Group. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Republic of the Philippines. 

Since the Paris Agreement, USD 5,500 billion has been channelled into fossil fuel companies from the 60 largest banks in the world. One of these banks, Danske Bank, has now drawn a line in the sand: they will no longer give loans to companies expanding their fossil fuel production.

Fossil fuels are undeniably the biggest driver of climate change. Devastating weather extremes remind us of the dire reality of the climate crisis affecting millions worldwide. These changes also affect the economic system, exposing banks to climate financial risks. But how should big banks respond to the climate crisis, and what is the role of COP 28 and national governments in regulating the banking sector?

At the Danish Pavilion, this COP 28 side event aims to inspire the financial sector, civil society, and regulators by highlighting opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned for redirecting financial flows away from fossil fuels.

Capacity building at the sub-national and local levels is critical to achieving a NAP process aligned with development priorities and plans and effectively channelling resources to the people, places, and systems that need them most.

This event will examine the importance of sub-national and local-level engagement in national adaptation policies and plans, discussing how capacities and networks can be enhanced to enable vertical integration in decision-making and ensure inclusive and gender-responsive adaptation action.

The session will also highlight good practices on how capacity building at sub-national and local levels can be scaled up at the national level. It will also identify country support needs to advance capacity building for vertical integration and opportunities for technical and financial support to strengthen these efforts.

As a medium- to long-term response to the climate crisis and to enhance adaptation action, many countries are developing and implementing NAPs and designing monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems. However, despite the urgent need to see results and understand the progress made on adaptation, few countries currently track and report on their NAP implementation. Progress reporting is a critical element of the NAP process that helps facilitate both its regular tracking and the continuous enhancement of adaptation planning and implementation.

This event will launch a new NAP Global Network report that explores various approaches to NAP implementation, assessment, and reporting by countries worldwide. Discussions will shed light on the different systems and contexts in which progress reporting has been made to inspire and inform stakeholders about the importance of assessing progress, highlighting experiences from Vietnam, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.