World Trade Organization Reform: Key issues and stakes
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As global trade becomes more complex, international trade rules are under enormous pressure. Our Director of Trade and Sustainable Development, Alice Tipping, explores how the World Trade Organization has evolved and what’s at stake today.
“As the 21st century looks more and more like a 2-degree world riven by geo-strategic competition, we need a new conversation about what interventions make sense for the common good, and which do not,” she explains.
Rather than workarounds, she considers a reset: re-examining the rules governing how governments can intervene to shape trade.
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Follow Updates from
COP 30
As negotiations continue in Belém, visit our Inside COP 30 page for updates, expert insights, and events.
Our experts and reporting services are on the ground in Belém. Follow their reporting in our Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
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What NDCs 3.0 Are (and Aren’t) Saying About Fossil Fuel Production
With the recent International Court of Justice opinion reinforcing states’ legal obligation to stop fossil fuel expansion, the imperative for ambitious climate plans has never been clearer. Yet most third-generation nationally determined contributions still fall short of addressing the root causes of the issue. Our new article analyzes the various approaches to fossil fuel production in countries’ climate plans and their implications for COP 30 and beyond.
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Rethinking Tax Incentives for Climate Finance
Tax incentives are widely used in emerging and developing economies to attract private capital for the energy transition, but their effectiveness depends on targeted design and implementation. We sat down with our tax and investment expert, Kudzai Mataba, to learn what fiscal reforms governments should champion at COP 30 to help achieve climate finance pledges, how countries are currently deploying green tax policies, and how to design policies that deliver for both climate and the public purse.
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Why ISDS Reform Is Critical for COP 30 Delivery
Investment treaty reform is critical for delivering on climate commitments—and particularly moving away from the outdated investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) system that allows fossil fuel investors to challenge green policies. As our Director of Investment, Suzy Nikièma, and Associate Vice President, Anne Hammill, explain, this means ISDS reform should be embedded in the core COP agenda starting in 2026.
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How Can Tax Policy Support Local Value Addition in Critical Minerals?
Critical minerals, like lithium, cobalt, and copper, are vital for clean energy technologies and the global energy transition. As demand for these minerals grows, resource-rich developing countries are seeking ways to process them domestically and harness greater economic benefits. A new report by the IGF explores how tax strategies supported by key enabling conditions can help countries promote domestic processing and manufacturing.
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The Evidence Base of Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
Nature can be a powerful partner in tackling climate change and enhancing biodiversity. This new brief, co-developed with GIZ, highlights growing evidence that well-designed nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation can drive transformative change for both people and the planet. It also provides policy recommendations for scaling up implementation.
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Learning to Adapt: Education’s role in NAP processes
The education sector is both affected by climate change—by putting millions of children’s education at risk—and essential for helping communities adapt to its impacts. This report by the NAP Global Network and Save the Children looks at how education and youth are included in national adaptation plans, highlights country examples, and offers ideas to strengthen education’s role in climate action.
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Sustainable Mining for a Resilient Future: Highlights from IGF’s AGM
More than 400 attendees from government, industry, and civil society at the 21st IGF AGM focused on ways to diversify value in small-scale and non-metallic mining, establish legal frameworks for value addition policies, and align value addition with environmental protection. Read more from Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
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“I Am a Tree”: Students Bring Climate Awareness to Life Through Creativity
What if the next generation of environmental changemakers weren’t in a conference room, but in a vibrant space of learning? In Kigali, Rwanda, youth are taking the lead in climate action by turning dance, drama, poetry, visual arts, and even fashion into powerful platforms for environmental awareness. Gender and Climate Resilience Specialist Rita Nishimwe shares what goes into a “youth movement.”
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At IISD, we believe in investing in people who are passionate and talented at what they do. Help enhance our work across all of our focus areas and make an impact on the planet and its people.
- Head of Secretariat, National Adaptation Plan Global Network, Ottawa, Canada
- Consultant, Metal Streaming and Private Royalty Agreements, Ecuador (Remote)
- Consultant - Nickel Pricing for Taxation Purposes, Chicago, U.S. (Remote)
- Facilities Maintenance Technician, IISD-ELA, Kenora, Canada
- Chemist, IISD-ELA, Kenora, Canada
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