International Institute for Sustainable Development

We're at the midpoint of the UN tax negotiations taking place this week, and delegates are discussing critical issues to prioritize for the second protocol of the UN Framework Convention on international tax cooperation. Topics like digital economy taxation, illicit financial flows, and tax dispute resolution are all on the table—each with the potential to shape the future of international tax cooperation. Yesterday evening in New York, IISD tax experts teamed up with International Centre for Tax and Development to host a high-level workshop with over 50 participants from governments, academia, and civil society. The event focused on identifying key priorities for future protocols, providing evidence-based tools to guide the ongoing negotiations. Stay updated on the negotiations with daily coverage from Earth Negotiations Bulletin ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g8cPHQnR #InternationalTax #UNTaxNegotiations 📸: Photo by IISD/ENB | Matthew TenBruggencate Elisângela Rita Kudzai Mataba Annet Oguttu Juliana Midori Kuteken Thomas Lassourd Frederik Heitmüller Abdul Muheet Chowdhary Aisha Aize Isa, Mtax, MPA, FCTI Diane Ring Thulani Shongwe Emmanuel Eze

At the tail end of 2024, The International Court of Justice heard representations on the obligations of States in the face of climate change. The ICJ, the highest judicial organ of the UN, is now considering one of the most important cases in its history. With an advisory opinion due in 2025, Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, explains why the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment should be recognised. 🔎 https://lnkd.in/g9nhNXuq

Set against the backdrop of global efforts that elevate the need for gender responsive and participatory approaches to climate change adaptation, the fourth synthesis report by NAP Global Network assesses progress on integrating gender considerations into NAP processes ⬇️

The city of Abbottabad, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, is experiencing rapid urban growth, expanding by 3.5% each year. This fast-paced urbanization strains the city’s water supply, wastewater treatment, and transport infrastructure—challenges further intensified by climate change impacts like frequent droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and severe monsoon flooding. The loss of green spaces is also worsening the urban heat island effect, affecting air quality, and public health. To tackle this, the Gov. of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa & Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) launched the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project. A 🔑 goal: revitalize Sherwan Hill Adventure Park to reduce flood and heat risks & create a healthy, accessible green space for Abbottabad residents. Using SAVi methodology, we found that every USD 1 invested in this project could return up to USD 2.49 (PKR 1.8B) over 30 years. Benefits include: 💼 Job creation 👩⚕️ Improved health 🏘️ Higher property values 👛 Local spending boost 🌳 Carbon storage ➡️ Findings from the report are also included in the #AIIB flagship “Infrastructure for Planetary Health”, which will be launched during the Finance In Common Summit #FiCS from February 26-28, 2025. 🔗 Read the full report here: nbi.iisd.org/report/urban...

How can decision-makers build sustainable policies when they only see part of the picture of their countries' economic performance? How can citizens gauge if their children or grandchildren will enjoy better lives when the primary goal of much national policy—GDP growth—aims only at maximizing short-term income? What alternative measures could complement GDP and give a fuller sense of a country's prospects for well-being? In anticipation of growing global efforts to select indicators that move beyond GDP, IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub is providing regular updates on publications on this topic. In the first update, Livia Bizikova and Hajra Atiq analyze the aftermath of the Summit of the Future, covering the period from October through December 2024. The article covers: 🔷 Recommendations for specific indicators and indices to complement GDP performance 🔶 A review of theoretical and empirical approaches to move beyond GDP Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gAYKTQXH

Every 2 years at the NAP Global Network we review progress on the integration of gender considerations in national adaptation planning processes. Today Angie Dazé and I launch the 4th of these synthesis reports where we share the results of our systematic review of multisector NAP documents submitted to the UN Climate Change and highlight 6 promising examples of practical steps countries are taking to advance their gender-responsive NAP processes. Two of the report’s key findings really jumped out at me. 1️⃣ While 96% of documents reference women, we continue to see that the most common way that women are being positioned in NAPs is as a group that is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This fails to recognize the skills and experiences that women hold, which are necessary for more effective adaptation action. 2️⃣ 64% of NAP documents refer to capacity-strengthening activities related to gender and adaptation. The promising example of creative methods for meaningful dialogue on gender in Rwanda’s NAP process strengthens the capacity of women on the frontlines of climate change to better participate in adaptation processes. It also supports policymakers to better understand the effects of climate change on women’s lives and the adaptation priorities for their communities. 📖 Read the synthesis report to learn about the current state of play with regards to gender considerations in NAP processes: https://bit.ly/4herPQE

🌍 Breaking Gender Barriers in Sub-Saharan Africa Socially and culturally constructed #gender norms remain significant barriers to women and underrepresented groups, hindering their social and economic empowerment, participation in policy-making processes, and access to natural resources. To tackle these challenges, #SUNCASA partnered with local Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (#GESI) organizations to deliver transformative training sessions in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, Kigali, Rwanda, and Johannesburg, South Africa. These sessions engaged 694 community members, including women, men, youth, elders, local leaders, and people with disabilities. The training created a foundation for more inclusive and sustainable #NatureBasedSolutions governance in the three cities. It also sparked meaningful discussions on household decision-making and the equitable division of labour, paving the way for stronger, more collaborative families. Discover the key takeaways and outcomes from this initiative ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gi-GJupP AVEGA Agahozo | Cities4Forests | WRI Africa | GenderCC Southern Africa - Women for Climate Justice | Rediat Tassew | Ayushi Trivedi

📣 IISD is pleased to welcome the appointment of Isabelle Ramdoo as Director of the IGFMining Secretariat. An economist with over 25 years of experience in trade and industrial policies, Isabelle has extensive expertise in trade negotiations across Eastern and Southern Africa. “In her years with the Secretariat, Isabelle has demonstrated remarkable leadership, deep expertise, and built trusted relationships,” said Patricia Fuller, President and CEO of IISD. Read the full announcement 👉 https://lnkd.in/gfxj9s9V

2024: A Solar Revolution in Agriculture! 🌾 The year 2024 was transformative for India’s PM-KUSUM scheme, driving remarkable progress across its three components:  1️⃣ Under Component A, solar capacity nearly doubled  2️⃣ Component B’s off-grid pump installations surged  3️⃣ Component C saw an extraordinary 24x leap in solarized pumps This growth reflects India’s success in driving #solarizing agricultural power demand and progress towards #renewable energy goals.  Explore these achievements and more key updates in the January edition of the #Solar Agri Bulletin. The January edition by the Advisory Group on Solarizing Agricultural Power Demand highlights, led by IISD & CEEW, highlights  📌 Latest state-level tenders and tariff orders  📌 Updates on domestic solar manufacturing  📌 Updates on upcoming events   📌 A must-read guest column by Dr. Akshay Rachakonda on reactive power compensation in renewable energy integration Read the latest edition: https://lnkd.in/duVy4QHk  Subscribe for regular updates right to your inbox: 👉 https://lnkd.in/d6VN4CzA  #PMKUSUM #SolarAgriculture #Renewables #SustainableFuture Priyami Dutta | Hrishabh Chandra | Ashwitha Tunga | Anas Rahman

A critical next step begins next week as the UN’s tax negotiations move forward. Countries will meet to negotiate the decision-making rules and decide the focus of the second protocol, critical decisions that will shape the Convention’s structure and priorities going forward. Kudzai Mataba provides an in-depth look at the complex dynamics between developed and developing nations, offering valuable context to understand the motivations at play as negotiations continue ⬇️ 🔗: https://lnkd.in/gmigQ_gA