Ronald Steenblik is emeritus Director of Research for the IISD’s Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI), an ambitious new program developed by IISD aimed at improving information on the extent and effects of subsidies, especially those that are harming developing countries or the environment.

Ronald's contribution to the field of subsidy analysis includes preparing the first set of internationally comparable estimates of subsidies to coal production in IEA countries; the first study of support to agriculture in Turkey; and, with an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) colleague (Paul Wallis), the first estimates of government financial transfers to OECD fishing industries. He has also written papers and articles on subsidy measurement and classification, and on subsidy disciplines. He is a prolific reviewer of other people’s work and a frequent speaker at workshops and meetings on subsidies.

Ronald's professional career spans three decades in industry, academia, the U.S. federal government, and inter-governmental organizations, generally on policy issues related to natural resources, the environment, or trade. Immediately prior to joining the IISD in January 2006, Ronald was a Senior Trade Policy Analyst in the Trade Directorate of the OECD. During his four years there, Ronald made important contributions to the WTO negotiations on environmental goods and services, both through the research he undertook on specific topics and as a participant in WTO symposiums and meetings of the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment. He also served on UNCTAD’s Consultative Task Force on Environmental Requirements and Market Access for Developing Countries and oversaw the preparation of some twenty case studies on this topic.