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Debate at BRICS exposes the Russian strategy to redefine the global energy transition, focusing on costs, technology, supply security, and freedom for each country to choose renewable sources, gas, biofuels, and other low-emission solutions.
Russia advocated, in the BRICS energy debate, a climate transition based on the so-called “rational technological choice”, a model that keeps hydrocarbons as a relevant energy source while expanding renewables, biofuels, and low-emission technologies.
Presented by Aleksei Kulapin, director-general of the Russian Energy Agency, linked to the country’s Ministry of Energy, the position was detailed in an interview on the “BRICSdialogue” program, on TV BRICS, in content published on July 2, 2026.
The central argument of the expert combines cost, technology, and energy security, as the goal of total carbon neutrality in the world by 2050 would require, according to him, annual investments estimated between US$ 7 trillion and US$ 8 trillion.
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Besides the financial volume, Kulapin stated that the “net zero” scenario would depend on solutions that are not yet available on a commercial scale, which reinforces the Russian defense for a gradual transition, supported by different sources and national paths.
Global energy scenarios discussed at BRICS
In 2024, the Russian Energy Agency presented three scenarios for the global energy sector, named “everything as before”, “rational technological choice”, and “net zero”, each with different implications for investments and energy matrix.
In Kulapin’s assessment, the second path would be the most viable because it combines supply security, expansion of renewable sources, and maintenance of fuels still central to producing countries, consumers, and developing economies.
“The most sensible is the scenario with the quite suggestive name of ‘rational technological choice’, in which hydrocarbons remain as a key energy source,” said Kulapin.
In the same analysis, the director-general of the Russian agency said that the participation of renewables tends to grow in a logical and natural way, without requiring the immediate elimination of sources that still support a large part of the global economy.
This positioning is part of a broader dispute in the international climate agenda, marked by pressure for accelerated emission cuts and, at the same time, by emerging economies’ concerns about cost, energy access, and supply security.
Climate goals advance at different paces
Among the BRICS countries, climate neutrality commitments follow different timelines, which strengthens the Russian argument that the energy transition should not adhere to a single model imposed on different economic realities.
Brazil and South Africa are working with a target of 2050, while Russia and China aim for 2060; Iran and Egypt, according to Kulapin, are directing their policies towards a longer horizon, up to 2100, after joining the Paris Agreement.
The difference in these timelines helps explain the advocacy for a transition with technological neutrality, in which each country chooses the most suitable solutions for its matrix, natural reserves, level of industrialization, and available investment capacity.
This debate is also influenced by the communiqué of the 10th BRICS Energy Ministers Meeting, held under Brazil’s presidency on May 19, 2025, which recognized the role of fossil fuels in the global matrix.
In the same document, the countries advocated for common but differentiated responsibilities, respect for national circumstances, and technological freedom, principles that support the coexistence of renewables, bioenergy, nuclear energy, low-emission hydrogen, and carbon removal.
Natural gas and biofuels gain ground in the debate
When discussing possible paths for the transition, Kulapin mentioned transition fuels like natural gas and biofuels, as well as other low-emission or carbon-neutral routes that can meet different national needs.
For the Director-General of the Russian Energy Agency, the priority should be to ensure “equal access to all types of technology,” without forcing BRICS members to adopt a single solution to achieve climate goals.
This perspective is supported by the 2025 ministerial communiqué, which defends the right of states to define the pace, combination of sources, and instruments of their energy transitions, according to technological availability and internal economic conditions.
In practical terms, Kulapin stated that joint investment projects are underway in the BRICS energy dialogue, with active cooperation from Russia with India and China in infrastructure, especially in the transportation of energy resources.
In addition to this front, he mentioned initiatives related to the construction of nuclear power plants and the utilization of other sources considered clean, within an agenda that seeks to reconcile energy expansion, supply security, and emission reduction.
Common Standards and Energy Cooperation in the Bloc
Another point defended by Moscow is regulatory alignment through voluntary standards in extraction, refining, and petrochemicals, already applied by Russian companies and presented as a reference for possible joint projects in BRICS.
According to Kulapin, the adoption of these standards by bloc partners could facilitate the replication of successful initiatives in different contexts, creating common principles without eliminating the technical and regulatory particularities of each country.
Created in 2019 by Russian initiative, the BRICS Energy Research Platform maintains its secretariat at the Russian Energy Agency and brings together experts from universities, sector companies, and academic institutions.
On the Russian side alone, according to Kulapin, the initiative involves more than 100 professionals, responsible for energy overviews of member countries, thematic studies, and fronts related to technological cooperation and human capital development.
The ministerial communiqué of 2025 also recognized the role of the platform, by foreseeing the expansion of research, practical cooperation mechanisms, and initiatives capable of bringing energy policies closer among the group members.
Youth and Female Leadership in the Energy Sector
Linked to this agenda, the BRICS International Youth Energy Agency brings together early-career specialists to develop annual projections on global energy development, within a technical training strategy aimed at the bloc.
The group also maintains an engineering championship for young people, where participants from member countries present projects, exchange experiences, and discuss solutions applicable to different segments of the energy chain.
On another front, there are initiatives aimed at developing female leadership in the energy sector of BRICS countries, a theme proposed by South Africa and supported by Russia within the scope of cooperation among members.
With this agenda, Moscow attempts to transform divergences over costs, timelines, and technologies into a common agenda within BRICS, bringing energy security, climate goals, and national interests into the same discussion.
To what extent will the bloc be able to reconcile energy transition, economic development, and global emission reduction without imposing on emerging countries a cost considered unfeasible?
