“Green developmentalism” and the role of international law in negotiating the energy transition

Policy evolutions in North American and European capitals have prompted debates about ongoing shifts in global economic governance from a primary emphasis on promoting markets to a more extensive role for the state in steering economic relations. This article interrogates such discourses through the prism of the developmental state and of “green” industrialisation strategies in resource-dependent developing countries. 

Beyond the diversity of approaches and situations, these strategies aim to promote the development of supply-chain “ecosystems” ranging from innovation to value addition. Adopted in the context of growing demand for energy transition minerals, the strategies challenge trading relations that have long positioned these countries as exporters of raw materials. 

The article highlights the ways in which international economic law restricts space for such strategies. It argues that while large economies have signalled greater preparedness to depart from established trade rules, developing countries often face harder constraints. These result not just from structural factors but also from longstanding patterns and novel developments in international economic law. 

The findings call for more granular analyses on what is shifting, where and for whom. From a policy standpoint, the findings call for international arrangements that are more responsive to policy efforts aimed at enabling domestic value addition in resource-dependent countries.