International green economy collaborations: Chasing mutual gains in the energy transition

Abstract

We define and describe a novel form of international regulation and governance which we call International Green Economy Collaborations (IGECs). Aimed at achieving environmental and industrial win-wins for partners, these collaborations are currently proliferating. With a focus on shared value chains, IGECs' facilitation of technology incubation, R&D, coordination, and information sharing enable Green Industrial Policy at the international level. Development finance commitments included in some IGECs appear to be novel in international regulation, and likely have roots in climate agreements. Typically involving a small number of partners, and increasingly involving regulatory and market collaboration, IGECs can also serve strategic trade and technology competition objectives. Our survey and descriptive empirical analysis of IGECs points the way to future causal research on their drivers and consequences.