How BRICS can boost cooperation in renewable energy

President Xi Jinping of China opened the 14th BRICS Summit today, with leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa gathering virtually to “foster a high-quality BRICS partnership” and “usher in a new era for global development.”

Against the otherwise unavoidable backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, war is, unsurprisingly, off the summit agenda — to the disappointment of many Western observers. Nonetheless, the BRICS summit can still provide a forum for meaningful dialogue in other areas, particularly when it comes to energy cooperation and infrastructure.

As the latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) attest, the “triple planetary crisis” — of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution — is intensifying. Energy is a key aspect of this emergency: globally, the energy sector accounts for two-thirds of total greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn drive global warming and climate changes.

But energy is not just a problem, it is also a central part of the solution to tackle the crisis. More and more countries are adopting policies to encourage the transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources, helping mitigate climate change and harness new opportunities for sustainable development. 

But greater coordination and cooperation are needed across key actors — particularly the BRICS.

The emerging BRICS economies are uniquely positioned to boost cooperation in green energy and related policies. 

The importance of BRICS nations

As key players in the coal, oil, gas, and nuclear sectors, their decisions and trajectories will be critical to meeting global targets — as will their efforts to support more efficient and fair use...