Towards Global Green Leadership: Priorities for BRICS Cooperation on Climate Change
Towards Global Green Leadership: Priorities for BRICS Cooperation on Climate Change
Institution: Laboratory of Climate Change Economics; Center for International and Comparative Legal Studies; BRICS Expert Council – Russia
Publisher: BRICS Expert Council – Russia
Publication Year: 2024
Type: Analytical Report
Link: BRICS Expert Council – Russia
About this Report
This 2024 analytical report examines the rapidly evolving climate policies of the BRICS countries and identifies the strategic opportunities for deeper cooperation in pursuit of global green leadership. Prepared jointly by the Laboratory of Climate Change Economics, the Center for International and Comparative Legal Studies, and the BRICS Expert Council – Russia, the report synthesizes national policies, international commitments, and emerging partnerships to show how BRICS have become indispensable actors in the global climate agenda. Following the expansion of the grouping, BRICS now represent nearly 30 percent of global GDP, 45 percent of global population, and more than half of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. The report argues that because of this scale, the success of global climate action is inseparable from the climate trajectories of the BRICS members.
The authors highlight that although almost all BRICS countries have adopted long-term carbon-neutrality targets, their approaches to emissions reduction, carbon pricing, energy transition, and adaptation differ significantly. Yet, despite this diversity, shared priorities such as energy and resource efficiency, renewable energy growth, technological innovation, and resilience-building provide a strong basis for coordinated action. The report also emphasizes that BRICS countries face similar structural challenges: sustaining economic development while undertaking deep decarbonization and mobilizing adequate climate finance.
Climate cooperation gained new momentum during the South African presidency in 2023, elevating climate issues to the center of the BRICS agenda. With Russia assuming the presidency in 2024, the report outlines a set of concrete proposals for advancing climate collaboration, positioning BRICS countries as potential global leaders capable of defining new development models suited to a climate-constrained world.
Contents
- Introduction
- FDI in the BRICS: Overall Trends
2.1. Overview of the BRICS Economies
2.2. FDI Inflows and Stock in the BRICS
2.3. FDI Outflows and Stock from the BRICS
2.4. Top Investors in the BRICS Economies
2.5. Intra-BRICS Investment
2.6. Significance of FDI to the BRICS - FDI Trends by Mode of Entry
3.1. Greenfield Projects
3.2. M&A Deals
3.3. Project Finance Deals - Developments in Investment Policies and Regulatory Frameworks in the BRICS
4.1. Recent Developments in National Investment Policies
4.2. International Investment Agreements (IIA) Reforms in the BRICS - Policy Coordination and the Way Forward
Annexes
- Annex 1: Background on BRICS Economic Collaboration
Annex 2: BRICS National Initiatives on PPPs and Infrastructure Investment
