This paper proposes green project bonds as an alternative way to finance “green” PPPs by engaging capital markets.

For procurers to effectively include green bonds in their current tendering activities, they need to understand both the opportunities and underlying risks stemming from the inclusion of this type of securities as a financing tool. In order to prompt higher investments into green projects, public procurers will have to implement a series of changes in their current practices that will guarantee fair competition and lower costs.

In recent decades, wind power in India been deployed at a tremendous rate, such that wind power projects now account for two thirds of total renewable energy generating capacity and almost one tenth of total installed generating capacity.

This case study examines one of the policies that is widely considered to be the primary driver behind this expansion—accelerated depreciation (AD) for wind power projects.

The case study reviews the modalities of the policy, focusing on how they have influenced the characteristics of India’s wind power industry. It considers not only the increase in wind power capacity and to what extent this can be attributed to the AD policy, but also how the policy has affected wind power generation and the development of the wind turbine industry in India. The analysis draws on research conducted to date on this and similar policies in other countries (notably the United States), as well as on a series of interviews with industry stakeholders.

Based on this analysis, the case study reflects on the positive and negative lessons that can be drawn from the AD policy and how these lessons could be incorporated into future policies in the sector, both in India and elsewhere.

Peat has been mined in Manitoba for over 70 years and currently represents approximately 13 per cent of Canada’s horticulture peat production.

Manitoba peat mining is potentially expanding in Manitoba’s Interlake, and this report quantifies the implications of this expansion for Lake Winnipeg nutrient loading and Manitoba’s greenhouse gas emissions. The technical analysis in this report will be incorporated into a cumulative environmental assessment on peat mining in Manitoba’s Interlake.

The report found that, with the expansion, nutrient leaching from active peat mines within Manitoba would not exceed 0.40 kilograms (kg) P ha^-1 yr^-1 and 15.00 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1. Total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads to Lake Winnipeg from current peat lease holdings in the Interlake would not exceed 5.1 tonnes P yr^-1 and 191 tonnes N yr^-1. Total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads to Lake Winnipeg from all current peat lease holdings within Manitoba would not exceed 12 tonnes P yr^-1 and 449 tonnes N yr^-1. These potential nutrient loads to Lake Winnipeg from peat mining operations represent a small proportion of the yearly loads of phosphorus and nitrogen to Lake Winnipeg.

Greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change due to active peat mines within Manitoba would not exceed 13.47 tonnes CO₂e ha^-1 yr^-1. Total greenhouse gas emissions from current peat lease holdings in the Interlake would not exceed 0.17 million tonnes CO₂e yr^-1. Total greenhouse gas emissions from current peat lease holdings within Manitoba would not exceed 0.4 million tonnes CO₂e yr^-1.

Initial analysis can be found here. 

Emissions trading schemes (ETSs) are being rapidly developed in China.

As of November 2014, there are seven ETS pilots in operation. Building on the experiences of the pilot systems, it is expected that a national emissions trading scheme will be established. This paper summarizes a series of interviews with experts in carbon trading and energy, to review the key issues and debates around earmarking revenues from emissions trading schemes to renewable energy.

Lake Winnipeg is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world and drains a watershed area of 1,000,000 square kilometres. Overloading of phosphorus in the lake has caused an increase in the frequency of algal blooms.

The Red River contributes almost 60 per cent of the phosphorus entering the lake. Netley-Libau Marsh is the largest coastal wetland on Lake Winnipeg, comprised of shallow lakes, channels and wetland areas through which the Red River flows on its way to the lake. Over the past several decades, environmental goods and services (EGS) benefits from Netley-Libau Marsh have been compromised by drainage, dredging, and water management. The result has been a gradual loss of plant communities, erosion of channels and islands, amalgamation of water bodies, and subsequent decline in wildlife habitat and populations. Netley-Libau Marsh is not currently functioning as a healthy coastal wetland, and many benefits to Lake Winnipeg that the marsh could provide have been severely degraded. Restoration and management of this important coastal wetland could help restore degraded environmental benefits.

The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of how this freshwater coastal wetland—and wetlands throughout the watershed—reduce nutrient loading and ultimately improve water quality in Lake Winnipeg. Emergent plants play a critical role in physical marsh structure and in water-quality improvement. A healthy marsh plant community captures and stores nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment, litter, roots and accumulated biomass. Cattail (Typha spp.) is one of the dominant plant species in Netley-Libau Marsh.

New site research was conducted in August and September of 2009, collecting samples and survey information throughout Netley-Libau Marsh. Samples were collected of plants, roots, litter, and sediment as well as water, and analyzed for a suite of elements and parameters.

Total phosphorus (TP) is the total amount of inorganic and organic P that is found in the water. Manitoba Water Quality Guidelines state TP should not exceed 0.025 mg/L in water bodies. Average TP concentrations in Netley-Libau Marsh during August 2009 ranged between 0.39 and 3.53 mg/L, significantly above the guideline.

Total stored phosphorus and nitrogen is estimated to be 525 tonnes and 1,965 tonnes in the plants (plants, roots, and litter) and 230 and 305 tonnes in sediment respectively. Restoration of the cattail and other marsh plants by 25 per cent could increase phosphorus and nitrogen storage potential in the marsh by 130 and 500 tonnes respectively.

The growing demand for non-renewable mineral resources is among the world’s greatest sustainability challenges.

But for many countries it can also present a significant opportunity for growth and development. While grappling with the important question of how to meet the resource needs of a growing population in a way that takes into consideration the needs of future generations, it is easy to overlook the role that mining and its benefits can play in a nation’s long-term social and economic development; with mining can come employment and skill development, investments in education, the construction of infrastructure, and the generation of much-needed revenue. The presence of a strong legal and policy framework is needed to maximize these benefits, a framework that promotes the development benefits of mining while upholding strong environmental and social standards. The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) is working to advance such policies and good governance practices through its Mining Policy Framework (MPF).

With support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is working with selected member states of the IGF to help them operationalize practices consistent with the MPF. As a first step, IISD conducted an assessment of national law, policy and administrative frameworks for mining and minerals development and management in three IGF member states relative to the six themes of the MPF. The assessments measure the readiness of the member states to implement the MPF through these existing government measures. This report presents the assessment for Uganda, with a view to: helping the government target their efforts in implementing the MPF; informing capacity-building efforts; and allowing for monitoring of progress over time.

This briefing note discusses options for the architecture for review and follow-up of the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of the High-Level Political Forum.

The paper discusses the institutional design principles for review mechanisms, in the first section, and then in the second section it describes how we see the design choices in a way that may be helpful for negotiators preparing for the May 2015 Session on Monitoring & Review of the Post-2015 Intergovernmental Negotiations.

Related HLPF documents:

Building an Effective Review Mechanism: Lessons for the HLPF

Options for the HLPF Review Mechanism: Background for the 2nd Workshop, New York, May 15, 2014

This guide is for developing countries that are engaged in various levels of mining negotiations with mining companies.

Volume 1 provides a comprehensive view of preparing for success.  Many governments lack the experience or human resources to prepare effectively for a negotiation, and are unable to make the investments needed to overcome these difficulties. Yet without preparing properly, there is little hope of achieving the desired national and community objectives. This guide provides a comprehensive approach that allows governments to set priorities and address critical issues in the preparation process.  It will assist governments in developing internal capacity and understanding where outside experts can best help. The guide addresses the process before negotiations begin, where the hard work gets done to lay the groundwork for a successful negotiation.

The elimination of fossil-fuel subsidies would make a significant contribution to this shared objective.

By keeping prices artificially low, fossil-fuel subsidies encourage wasteful consumption, disadvantage renewable energy, and depress investment in energy efficiency. Fossil-fuel subsidy reform also has both economic and environmental benefits, thereby supporting our shared global commitment to sustainable development. 

There is now an urgent need to convert these high-level commitments into practical action. This should be informed by the following three interrelated principles:

• Communication and Transparency about the merits of subsidy policies and reform timetables, including through engagement and communications with the general public and civil society stakeholders to ensure a smooth, inclusive, bottom-up approach to reform;
• Ambition in the scope and timeframe for implementing reforms; and
• Targeted support to ensure reforms are implemented in a manner that safeguards the poorest. 

This Communiqué  invites all countries, companies and civil society organizations to join us in supporting accelerated action to eliminate inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies in an ambitious and transparent manner as part of a major contribution to climate change mitigation.  

Since the official introduction of green public procurement (GPP) in China in 2006, the country has made much progress in increasing the environmental and energy-efficiency performance of purchased products.

Nonetheless, as this discussion paper argues, there is large potential for further increasing both the volume and the stringency of green requirements to scale up GPP, thereby contributing to the development of eco-civilization and other Chinese priorities. The first-of-its-kind model developed by IISD and presented in this paper shows there are significant environmental, social and economic benefits that China could achieve by leveraging the huge sums involved in public spending. The model points to reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, reduced health costs, green jobs, energy savings, green economic development and competitiveness. The major areas of Chinese public spending covered by the model are air conditioners, vehicles, information technology equipment, lighting, cement and paper. The paper further provides an overview of the country’s public procurement systems; outlines the current approach to GPP implementation, including its legal framework; undertakes a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of current GPP practice; and discusses the current policy and institutional reforms that benefit GPP. The paper concludes with a set of preliminary recommendations to scale up GPP. This product was launched at a joint IISD–Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies event on April 20, 2015, where Chinese and international experts discussed its findings and how to advance GPP in China.