Tara Laan is an Associate for the Global Subsidies Initiative, an IISD program that reveals how transfers of public money to private interests can undermine sustainable development.
Before joining GSI, Tara held several positions in the Australian Government, including senior adviser for trade policy in the prime minister’s department and adviser on natural resource management and environmental conservation issues. Tara also led a team on education policy in the premier’s department in the Australian state of Victoria.Tara's research for her Bachelor degree demonstrated that European Honey Bees—an introduced species in Australia—were ineffective pollinators of a native Australian plant and were out-competing native pollinators.
All Publications
- The Sustainable Agriculture Transition: Technology options for low- and middle-income countries
Report - July 30, 2020
This report reviews how technology is transforming food systems and how policy-makers and investors can best harness the use of modern technologies to bring transformative change. - Green Recovery Know-How From the Nordics
Blog - July 30, 2020
Nordic countries are well recognized for combining healthy economic growth with strong social and environmental policies. What's their secret to a green recovery? - Gender and Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform in Bangladesh: Findings and recommendations
Paper - February 5, 2020
The report examines from a gender perspective the impact of kerosene subsidies and their reform in Bangladesh. The report advocates that kerosene subsidy reform needs to be handled with care. - Gender and Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform in India: Findings and recommendations
Report - December 18, 2019
The report examines the impacts of India’s subsidies to cooking gas—and their reform—from a gender perspective. It explores how liquified petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy policies and their reform affect women and girls in low-income households. - Energy Transition in Support of the Low-Carbon Development Initiative in Indonesia: Transport sector
Report - October 23, 2019
Implementing an effective pricing mechanism is necessary for Indonesia to complete its landmark fuel subsidy reforms and prevent backsliding into expensive subsidy policies. The current pricing regime aims to deliver a public service but inadvertently contributes major social costs: air pollution and associated illness, greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion. - India's Energy Transition: Subsidies for gasoline, diesel and electric vehicles
Briefing Note - July 24, 2019
India’s subsidies to petrol and diesel between October 2018 and June 2019 amounted to almost three times the three-year government budget for electric vehicle (EV) support, according to our new study. - Policy Approaches for a Kerosene to Solar Subsidy Swap in India
Report - April 17, 2019
India could save money and reduce indoor air pollution by switching kerosene subsidies to solar. - Women Could Gain Far More With Better Targeting of Government Energy Subsidies, New Research Finds
Blog - March 8, 2019
Millions of dollars worth of fossil fuel subsidies could be better targeted by governments to benefit poor women. - India's Energy Subsidies Moving in the Right Direction
Blog - December 27, 2018
India has become an outspoken proponent of renewable energy, but do the facts back up the rhetoric? Is the central government walking the talk when it comes to India's energy subsidies? - India Energy Subsidy Briefing December 2018
Briefing Note - December 19, 2018
The latest news on energy subsidy issues in India, including draft amendments to the Electricity Act 2003, India poised to exceed renewable energy target and oil subsidy burden potentially on the rise. - Improving and Refocusing Electricity Subsidies: Options for optimization in Mexico
Report - December 19, 2018
IISD is proud to partner with CONECC German-Mexican Energy Partnership on this report which identifies and evaluates options for reforming Mexico’s electricity subsidies. - Support for Clean Cooking in India: Tracking the latest developments in LPG subsidies
Interactive - November 20, 2018
An in-depth look at recent developments in India's subsidies for household cooking gas. - Gender and Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform: An audit of data on energy subsidies, energy use and gender in Indonesia
Report - November 14, 2017
This study provides an initial investigation into LPG subsidies and their reform and gender in Indonesia by examining the available data on household use of energy and relevant gender issues. - A Guidebook to Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform for Policy-Makers in Southeast Asia
Paper - May 30, 2013
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for fossil-fuel subsidy reform—but there are a set of planning stages that are generic, along with many... - Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies
Paper - April 16, 2013
Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies analyzes a range of costs and benefits associated with European Union ... - A Citizens' Guide to Energy Subsidies in Thailand
Paper - April 15, 2013
Thailand has stabilized and subsidized energy prices for decades in an effort to shield consumers from volatile energy prices and improve access to... - Reforming Fossil-Fuel Subsidies to Reduce Waste and Limit CO2 Emissions while Protecting the Poor
Paper - November 6, 2012
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies are estimated to have spent at least US$105 billion subsidizing fossil-fuel consumption in 2010... - The High Cost of Cheap Energy: Russia's Fossil-Fuel Subsidies Undermine Sustainable Development
Paper - July 19, 2011
Russia provides some of the largest subsidies for fossil fuels in the world.The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that Russian subsidies... - A Citizen's Guide to Energy Subsidies in Indonesia
Paper - June 30, 2011
Indonesia's fuel subsidies were put in place to make energy more affordable, particularly for poor people.However, overwhelming evidence suggests... - We Ask Your Government! how much its fossil-fuel subsidies cost
Paper - April 8, 2011
The International Budget Partnership (IBP) commenced a project in 2010 that aimed to find out how well governments respond to legitimate requests... - Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication - Enabling Conditions Supporting the Transition to a Global Green Economy
Book - April 5, 2011
United Nations Environment Programme's Green Economy Initiative, in collaboration with economists and experts worldwide, compiled the book: ... - Lessons Learned from Brazil's Experience with Fossil-Fuel Subsidies and their Reform
Paper - June 4, 2010
Brazil's attempts to reform fuel subsidies have often been frustrated by interest groups trying to maintain the use of certain consumer subsides.... - Strategies for Reforming Fossil-Fuel Subsidies: Practical lessons from Ghana, France and Senegal
Paper - May 4, 2010
This paper analyzes the experiences of countries that have undertaken reform of their fossil-fuel subsidies and establishes what lessons can be... - Gaining Traction: The importance of transparency in accelerating the reform of fossil-fuel subsidies
Paper - May 4, 2010
Transparency is the cornerstone of holding governments accountable for the ways in which they spend public money. As governments increasingly... - Biofuels - At What Cost? Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in Canada
Paper - April 27, 2009
This report provides an in-depth analysis of government support to biofuels in Canada, including a comprehensive quantification of the amount of... - Biofuels At What Cost? Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in Indonesia
Paper - January 21, 2009
This report on government support to biofuels in Indonesia finds that the country has been slow to implement its ambitious plans for biofuel... - Biofuels - At What Cost? Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in China
Paper - January 21, 2009
This report provides data and analysis on government support for biofuels in China. The report finds that China provided a total of RMB 780 million... - Biofuels - At What Cost? Government support for biodiesel in Malaysia
Paper - September 29, 2008
This report provides a detailed assessment of government intervention in the biodiesel market in Malaysia. It also analyses the role of government...