Self-interested Low-carbon Growth in G-20 Emerging Markets

Abstract

This article suggests that some or all G-20 Emerging Markets (GEMs = Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey) could seize the climate policy agenda and open up these broader opportunities with a coordinated, self-interested announcement to exploit the fear of “losing the low-carbon race” in the West. Such a strategy would likely thwart resistance within Annex 1 countries to action on climate change which would be to the benefit of GEMs. Irrespective of Annex 1 action, however, without early action by the GEMs, they themselves risk bearing the impacts of dangerous climate change.