The BRICS Power Play: Competing Interests in Global Energy Governance

A report by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzing the internal complexities and competing interests of the expanded 10-member BRICS bloc regarding global energy governance and the energy transition.

• The expanded BRICS bloc, comprising 10 members, represents a significant portion of global resources and emissions, accounting for over 42% of global GHG emissions, 50% of the world population, and 43.6% of global oil production. The report argues against treating the bloc as a single coherent actor, stating that it is actually a collection of competing interests, timelines, and worldviews.
• The energy transition within BRICS is characterized as a power struggle where state-owned enterprises and governments reliant on fossil fuel revenues create a risk of a 'grey space' of hybrid compromise. In this scenario, ambitious climate rhetoric is used to mask the continued expansion of fossil fuels.
• The report categorizes BRICS members into five functional actor groups: China as the Structural Pivot; South Africa and Brazil as Normative Entrepreneurs; India and Indonesia as Swing States; Russia, Iran, and UAE as Incumbent Guardians; and Egypt and Ethiopia as Adaptation-Centred Members.
• Climate finance is identified as the strategic fulcrum for BRICS climate action, with three main priorities: reforming financial architecture (both global and intra-BRICS), catalyzing investment in hard-to-abate sectors, and localizing finance to improve sub-national capacity.
• Geopolitical instability regarding the Strait of Hormuz has highlighted the fragility of hydrocarbon dependency, providing an incentive for importers such as India and China to speed up the development of domestic renewables. The period between 2026 and 2027 is identified as a critical window for aligning policy and securing finance.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2026). The BRICS Power Play: Competing Interests in Global Energy Governance. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-brics-power-play-competing-interests-in-global-energy-governance/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The BRICS Power Play: Competing Interests in Global Energy Governance. 2026. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-brics-power-play-competing-interests-in-global-energy-governance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The BRICS Power Play: Competing Interests in Global Energy Governance |date=7 May 2026 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-brics-power-play-competing-interests-in-global-energy-governance/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2026brics, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The BRICS Power Play: Competing Interests in Global Energy Governance}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-brics-power-play-competing-interests-in-global-energy-governance/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }